Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military not to begin a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as agreed at 8:30 a.m. local time unless Hamas announces the names of the hostages it must release, Netanyahu's office said.
" The prime minister has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that the ceasefire, which will take effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel receives a list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has pledged to hand over ," the statement said, Reuters reports.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas will take effect today at 8:30 a.m. local time, and during the first phase, which will last six weeks, 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages, including women, children, men over 50 and sick and injured prisoners, are scheduled to be released.