Ceasefire in Gaza: Here’s the “Zero Hour”

18th January 2025

2 minutes read

Ceasefire in Gaza: Here’s the “Zero Hour”

On Saturday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the ceasefire in Gaza would begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT) on Sunday.

The announcement was made by the ministry’s spokesperson in a post on the platform X.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army confirmed in a statement that the agreement would take effect on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT).

It added that “army forces will implement the operational plan on the ground as agreed upon.”

Late Friday night, the Israeli government gave the green light to the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, paving the way for a truce accompanied by the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

On Wednesday, Qatar and the United States had announced reaching this agreement, which aims to “bring an ultimate end to the war” that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the devastated Gaza Strip over the past 15 months, according to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

However, pending the truce’s implementation on Sunday, on the eve of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Israeli army continues bombing Gaza, resulting in more than 100 deaths since Wednesday, according to the local civil defense.

The Israeli cabinet approved the plan early Saturday, despite opposition from ministers belonging to the far-right.

Hamas had already announced its approval of the agreement’s terms and committed to adhering to it.

In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said: “After reviewing all political, security, and humanitarian aspects, and recognizing that the proposed agreement supports the war’s objectives, the security cabinet recommended the government approve it.”

The agreement’s first phase, lasting six weeks, includes the release of 33 hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

In return, Israel will release 737 Palestinian prisoners, as announced by the Israeli Ministry of Justice on Saturday, noting that the release process would not begin before 4 p.m. Sunday (2 p.m. GMT).

Negotiations to achieve a complete end to the war will continue during this first phase.

The Israeli government announced that the first hostage releases would take place on Sunday, while two sources close to Hamas stated that three Israeli women would be released initially.