Middle East conflict: Gaza ceasefire begins after Hamas shares names of hostages to be freed today

Confirming the development, Israel's Prime Minister's Office posted on X: "Israel has received the list of the hostages who are due to be released today according to the framework. The security establishment is now checking the details."

"Pursuant to the framework for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire of the first stage in Gaza will take effect at 11:15," read another X post.

The ceasefire became effective after it was delayed for several hours.

Israeli forces continued to hit Gaza amid the delay which left at least 10 Palestinians dead, media reports said.

The strikes killed six people in the Al-Shaaf neighbourhood east of Gaza City, three north of Gaza City, as well as one in the southernmost city, Rafah, according to officials at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital and civil defence, reported CNN.

Meanwhile,  Shahaf, the brother of one of the hostages named  Romi Gonen, said the name of her sister is on the list of people who will be released by Hamas on Sunday.

In a post to his Instagram account, Romi’s brother Shahaf writes that she “is on the list. It’s official. Good luck to us all, reported The Times of Israel.

Romi was taken hostage by Hamas members when they attacked the Nova festival on October 7, 2023.

Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Ending a 15-month-long war, Israel and Hamas reached a landmark agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as exchanging of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

This agreement comes after months of intense negotiations carried out by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the support of the United States.

The overall toll in the Israel-Hamas war is more than 46,000 with hundreds of thousands getting displaced and struggling to survive in makeshift shelters.

In Israel, the return of the hostages is expected to ease public anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, who have faced severe criticism for the October 7 security failure that led to the deadliest single day in Israel's history.

The agreement marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict, coming after Israel's successful assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.