Three Hamas hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. While more than 600 trucks of humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip, everything has to be rebuilt.
The truce between Israel and Hamas began this Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. (10:15 a.m. French time), three hours late, with Hamas acknowledging a setback “for technical reasons on the ground”. In the process, the first hostages were released. These are three women: Romi Gonen (24 years old), Emily Damari (28 years old) and Doron Steinbrecher (31 years old). They were transferred to the Red Cross in mid-afternoon, and are said to be in good health, an Israeli official told Reuters.
A few hours later, on the night of Sunday to Monday, Israel announced that it had released 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first prisoner exchange provided for by the truce agreement with Hamas. “This evening, 90 terrorists were (…) released” from the Ofer military prison, in the occupied West Bank, and from a detention center in Jerusalem, said a statement from the Israeli Prison Authority.
Just minutes after the ceasefire came into force, the UN announced the arrival of the first humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza. The agreement provides for “the entry of 600 aid trucks per day”, according to Egypt. “260 trucks of aid and 16 of fuel” entered the Palestinian enclave at the end of the day on Sunday, according to an Egyptian official. Israeli soldiers will therefore be invited, during this truce, to withdraw little by little from the Gaza Strip. The departure of the Israeli army from certain strategic points, such as the Netzarim corridor (center of the Gaza Strip) and certain places in the Philadelphia corridor (between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt), would be planned.
Next release phase scheduled for Saturday January 25
On Sunday, January 19, a senior Hamas official said that the next release of hostages would take place “next Saturday.” 33 Israeli hostages must now be released in a new six-week phase. “Between three and four kidnapped women” will be “released each week”, specifies Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, even if Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel reserved “the right to resume the war if necessary” .
In exchange, Israel agrees to release an additional 1,900 Palestinians. the Jewish state has already published a list of 734 “releaseable” detainees. Hamas and Israel have finally agreed on the release of 296 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in the next phase, 236 of whom are to be deported, either to Qatar or Turkey.
What this truce agreement contains
Washington, Israel’s main ally, like the other members of the G7, encourages the belligerents to go further and negotiate a lasting peace in a press release: “We urge all parties to negotiate constructively the subsequent phases of the “agreement, to guarantee its full implementation and the definitive end of hostilities”. But nothing guarantees the success of the next negotiations. Before confirming the agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed on Thursday January 16 that Hamas had “withdrew from certain agreements” at the last minute: “Hamas is going back on the agreements and creating a crisis which prevents an agreement”. He warned that the Israeli government “will not meet until […] Hamas accepted all elements of the agreement.
During his press conference, the Qatari Prime Minister revealed that the agreement reached consisted of three phases. The first will consist of positioning Israeli troops along the Gaza border, “which will allow an exchange of prisoners, displaced people to find their homes and will also facilitate the transfer of injured people to be able to undergo treatment”, detailed Mohammed bin Abderrahmane Al-Thani.
“A delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip allowing the entry of essential equipment, particularly for displaced people who lost their homes following the war, as well as the rehabilitation of hospitals and health centers and others” are also on the program for this first phase. Phases two and three remain unclear at this point. They “will be finalized during the implementation of the first phase”, indicated the Prime Minister.
10:05 – Humanitarian aid: “we are trying to reach a million people as quickly as possible”
This Sunday, the UN announced the arrival of the first humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza. The agreement provides for “the entry of 600 aid trucks per day”, according to Egypt. Aid which should enable several million people to benefit from aid: “we are trying to reach a million people as quickly as possible,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program. For his part, Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN, indicated that it was “imperative” that the truce “removes the significant security and political obstacles to the delivery of aid”.
09:43 – The program of the 3 stages of the ceasefire
Despite the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Prime Minister of the Jewish state, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel reserved “the right to resume the war if necessary”. This is why everything is not yet decided. In the first phase, the release of 33 hostages still held by Hamas is planned, as well as the negotiation of the second phase. This second phase should allow the release of the last hostages before a final stage: the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the return of hostages who died in captivity.
09:24 – China “welcomes” the entry into force of the truce agreement in Gaza
“China welcomes the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza,” said Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a regular press briefing, adding that she hoped that “this agreement will be applied fully and continuously.”
08:59 – “No news on the state of health” of the two French hostages still detained
Two French hostages are still detained in Gaza, Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi, who are among the hostages released under the ceasefire. “We will continue to fight until the last hour so that they are released” but we have “no news on their state of health, on their conditions of detention”, specified the Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean- Noël Barrot, this Monday morning on BFMTV.
French Hamas hostages: “We will continue to fight until the last hour so that they are freed,” says Jean-Noël Barrot pic.twitter.com/ijyEGtRJEo
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) January 20, 2025
08:41 – “Restoring the health system in Gaza will be a complex task”
After 15 months of intense war, “meeting the enormous health needs and restoring the health system in Gaza will be a complex and difficult task, given the scale of the destruction, the operational complexity and the constraints involved”, indicated this Sunday on X, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
08:37 – What fate awaits the 296 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life?
During the second phase of hostage release, in six weeks, 33 Israelis must find their freedom. In exchange, Israel agrees to release an additional 1,900 Palestinians. the Jewish state has already published a list of 734 “releaseable” detainees. Hamas and Israel have finally agreed on the release of 296 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in the next phase, 236 of whom are to be deported, either to Qatar or Turkey.