After the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas takes effect Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time in Israel, which is 1:30 a.m. ET, and three female hostages are expected to be released first.
As of 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, Israel was still waiting for the list of hostages to be released first.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the agreement early Saturday morning for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages captured after Hamas’s unprovoked attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Phase one of the deal starts on Sunday with the release of the first three hostages and will last 42 days.
After the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET) on Sunday morning, three female hostages are expected to be released first. (Maya Alleruzzo/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
During that time, a total of 33 hostages will be released, with priority given to children, women, female soldiers, over-50s and sick or injured men. More than a thousand Palestinian prisoners will also be returned to Gaza.
Most of the Israeli hostages are believed to be alive, but their identities will not be known until they are closer to release.
Another four hostages will be released on day seven and another three will be released on day 14, with priority given to women.
Three more hostages are released on day 28 and again on day 35.
Between days 35 and 42, hostages Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, both held in Gaza since 2014 and 2015, will be released.
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In the last week of phase one, twelve hostages are released.
Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday to demand the immediate return of hostages to their homes after the ceasefire took effect. (Nir Keidar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
On the 16th day of phase one, negotiations begin for phase two, which is expected to include the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, including young men, soldiers and fallen soldiers.
Phase two begins on day 43 and lasts another 42 days.
The Israeli government has decided that the Israel Defense Force will remain in Gaza until the last hostage is released, but they will return to a security zone along the Gaza border that provides security to residents living there.
Netanyahu and his cabinet will discuss the hostages for a ceasefire at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Friday. (Courtesy: GPO)
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The plan is a new defense approach and is still being finalized under the IDF Southern Command.
