(Jan 18): All parties to Israel-Hamas war have agreed that the Gaza ceasefire will take effect at 8.30am local time on Sunday, a few hours earlier than had been anticipated, Qatar announced.

“We advise our brothers to take precautions, exercise the utmost caution, and await instructions from official sources,” Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the timetable, and said its troops would “implement the operational procedures in the field in accordance with the set agreements”.

The announcement came hours after Israel approved a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, clearing the way for a six-week pause to 15 months of war in the coastal enclave.

After the high-level security Cabinet accepted the deal earlier on Friday, it gained the approval of the full Cabinet despite opposition by some far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

The truce and first exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners are set to begin the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration as the US president on Monday, Jan 20. The deal also includes an increase in humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Both Trump and President Joe Biden pushed the warring sides to reach a deal before the handover.

The IDF said it is preparing to implement the agreement for the return of hostages, and that it is “operating to provide suitable physical and psychological support, with careful attention to every detail”.

On Friday, Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be released on the first day of the truce in exchange for Israeli hostages. The names are meant to give people the chance to appeal to the High Court of Justice against the release of specific prisoners. 

The truce seemed at risk of collapsing for much of Thursday, after Netanyahu accused Hamas of reneging on some commitments, before final details were ironed out.

Under the terms of the accord, Hamas — designated a terrorist organisation by the US and many other countries — will gradually release 33 of about 98 hostages who remain in Gaza, many of whom are dead. Israel’s military will withdraw from populated areas of the Gaza Strip and free about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. 

The agreement was mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with American officials closely involved but barred by US laws from direct contact with Hamas. The deal envisions further negotiations between the two sides to end the war that began in October 2023, though those terms are yet to be negotiated. 

Israel stocks have gained significantly in recent days in anticipation of a ceasefire. The main bourse in Tel Aviv rose 4.4% this week in dollar terms, one of the best performances globally. 

The shekel ended Friday 1.4% higher against the dollar. Israel’s dollar bonds were among the best performers in emerging markets.

Within Israel, there is plenty of wariness regarding the ceasefire, with many politicians saying the war should continue until Hamas is completely destroyed. On Saturday morning, air defence sirens sounded across much of Israel; the IDF said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards central Israel.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the most senior far-right member of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, called the deal a “catastrophe that will put Israel’s security at risk” before at least temporarily shelving his threats to resign. 

The finance minister said on Thursday that a clear condition for his remaining in government is a promise that Israel will return to the war “with great force, on a full scale and in a new configuration until complete victory”. He also wants Israel to have control over humanitarian aid going into Gaza.

Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of Israel’s hard-line Jewish Power party, said on Thursday that he would quit Netanyahu’s coalition as soon as the accord is approved by the wider Cabinet. He said he would be willing to return if fighting resumes after the deal’s first stage, which is expected to last 42 days.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement before the full Cabinet vote that there were alternatives to military force for ending Hamas’ rule of Gaza. 

“A ceasefire will allow for improved planning of operations for achieving the war’s goals — if we don’t achieve them through diplomacy or otherwise,” he said. 

Another Israeli official, who requested anonymity, said negotiations to fully end the conflict would start on the 16th day of the truce, at which point Hamas would have the option of agreeing to Israel’s war aims, which include ridding Gaza of their organisation. 

Neither Saar nor the official, however, elaborated on what might persuade Hamas to relinquish power.

At the same time, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, said in a statement on Friday that the group had “completed all preparations to assume full responsibilities” in Gaza. No post-war plan for governing the territory has emerged publicly, however. 

Hamas invaded Israel from Gaza on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 people hostage. Israel responded with an intense air and ground war that has devastated the enclave and killed over 46,000 people, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said, without differentiating between combatants and civilians. According to Israel, the Palestinian death toll includes almost 20,000 fighters, mostly from Hamas. 

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