Live: Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas begins after delay

At what could be the end of 15 months of intense fighting in Gaza, many Palestinians are beginning to return to what remains of their homes.

Drone vision from within the Palestinian territory shows people beginning to re-enter some of the worst-hit areas, where many buildings have been reduced to rubble.

For Gaza, which has seen its health system, infrastructure and entire communities severely damaged, the recovery is going to take a long time.

Despite the monumental task ahead, there were scenes of jubilation on the streets of some communities when the ceasefire came into effect.

At least 13 Palestinians were killed by Israeli artillery and aerial attacks between when the ceasefire was supposed to start, at 8:30am local time, and its actual start time at 11.15am.

ABC journalists stationed at the border with the Palestinian enclave reported seeing and hearing air strikes hitting communities in Gaza.

Israel’s military told Reuters it had carried out air and artillery strikes against “terror targets”.

Most Palestinians across the Gaza Strip thought the ceasefire was going ahead as planned, and were unaware the Netanyahu government was not implementing it because it had not received the names of the female hostages to be released.

The ceasefire that’s been negotiated comprises multiple stages, the first of which will begin on Sunday.

During the first phase of the deal (expected to last several weeks), Israel will free 737 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.

It will also release 1,167 Palestinians detained by the IDF during its ground offensive in Gaza.

The prisoners won’t all be freed at once. Israel’s government has provided a list of 95 that it says it will release on Sunday.

So who’s in line to be released during the first phase?

One of the most high-profile names on the list is Khalida Jarar, a politician and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian Legislative Council.

She’s was detained in December 2023 and has been held by Israeli authorities since, but hasn’t actually been charged with anything.

Another name on the list who’s set to be released as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement is Zakaria Zubeidi, who rose to prominence during the Second Intifada as a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.

The Second Intifada refers to a period between 2000 and 2005 in which Palestinians staged an uprising against Israel and it’s occupation, with often deadly consequences.

The Al-Aqsa Mrtyrs’ Brigades is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank and Gaza.

While he’s been detained multiple times, his most recent arrest was in February 2019, and he was later that year charged with carrying out shootings at civilian busses in the West Bank.

He’s also previously claimed responsibility for a terror attack in Beit She’an, Israel in 2002 in which six Israeli civilians were killed and 34 were injured.

With more hostages due to be released, the Netanayhu Government is insisting it’s prepared to offer them whatever support is necessary.

But some who’ve already been through the process of mourning a missing loved one, and welcoming them back, are issuing a warning on that.

Aviram Meir’s nephew Almog was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seven months ago.

Aviram says he’s getting along fine after his ordeal, but his family are still suffering.

“My sister who was a mother of a hostage for eight months – a day after he came back, she’s a normal citizen in Israel,” he said.

“My sister now is breaking … and we need the families strong for their hostages.”

He said he dedicates his time to providing hostage families with support, and called on the government to do more.

One of the people attending the rally in ‘Hostage Square’ is someone with firsthand experience.

Louis Har spent 129 days in Hamas’ custody, and was rescued by Israeli forces in a special mission in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The grandfather said the ceasefire and hostage deal was the right approach, because not everyone could be rescued by the IDF.

“It’s not possible to take 98 people in a mission, only with a deal,” he said.

He said his role now was to spread hope amongst the hostage families, and he believed the deal would hold.

“OK, this is the first list [of hostages], and we’re waiting for more.”

Clive has a question.

So, are they [the hostages] alive?

Hamas provided a list of 33 hostages that it plans to release as part of the first phase of this ceasefire. Their condition is not known (although, Hamas has previously said some of them are dead, without providing evidence of this).

Israeli authorities believe most of the people on the list are alive.

It’s not clear if the three Hamas are planning on releasing later on Sunday, local time, are alive.

Hamas released a video of Doron Steinbrecher back in January 2024. That was the last time we heard from one of them as far as I’m aware.

It’s also believed that the other two hostages set to be released, Romi Gonen and Emily Damari, were wounded when they were abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

As the ceasefire came into effect, Israeli airforce pilots drew a symbol in the skies over Jerusalem, that’s supposed to represent the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

The yellow ribbon has been used by loved ones of those captured during the October 7 attack to raise awareness and build momentum to get them released.

Today’s ceasefire is the first step towards freeing the nearly 100 hostages still held by Hamas.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which will run for the next six weeks, will see at least 33 hostages released, mainly women, children and the elderly.

One of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political rivals, Benny Gantz weighed into the ceasefire and hostage deal at the rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night.

“We are strong enough to have a deal,” he said.

When asked whether the government should walk back the ceasefire agreement, and commit to continue fighting in Gaza – as has been floated by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Mr Gantz said Mr Netanyahu needed to remain focused.

“We have a Prime Minister with responsibilities, and I expect him to stick with them.”

ABC News camera operator Haidarr Jones is on the Israel-Gaza border, where the destruction from IDF attacks in the Palesinian territory is visible.

We have an audience question, from Andrew, which I’m going to answer:

Riley, hi! I dunno why, but this ceasefire ‘feels’ more fragile than most. There seem many fluid parts, and all appear very tenuously linked. Do you expect it to hold?

Andrew, you’re right. This is a particularly delicate situation, although both Israel and Hamas have said multiple times they are committed to it.

From Israel’s point of view, this is more of a “hostage deal” rather than a ceasefire. That’s been made clear for several reasons.

As recently as last night, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country would resume its attacks of the deal collapsed.

There is a difference as to how the governments in Israel and the US are interpreting this ceasefire. In Israel, they’re stressing that it could be temporary. In the US, it’s seen as something that should lead to a permanent end to this war.

To answer your question Andrew: I expect it to hold today, and in the medium term. After that, all bets are off.

These are the three hostages Hamas is planning to release today:

• Emily Damari
• Romi Gonen
• Doron Steinbrecher

Emily Damari is a British-Israeli who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She’s 28.

Romi Gonen, 24, was abducted from the Nova music festival.

Hamas militants took Doron Steinbrecher, who is 31, from Kfar Aza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced the ceasefire in Gaza will begin at 11:15am, local time on Sunday (8:15pm AEDT).

It follows Hamas’ confirmation of the identities of the first three Israeli hostages to be released once the ceasefire comes into force.

It had initially been due to start at 8:30am, local time.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed Hamas has provided it with the names of the hostages it plans to release today.

This was cited as the reason the start of a ceasefire was delayed. That had been due to begin at 8:30am on Sunday, local time (5:30pm AEDT).

We’re expecting this means that the ceasefire will begin now, but are waiting for official confirmation on that.

Hamas had said the delay in providing the names was due to technical difficulties, but did not provide specifics.

The names were eventually sent to the Qatari government, who provided them to the Mossad.

Hamas has named three Israeli hostages for release later this afternoon, once a ceasefire takes hold.

Israel had criticised Hamas for not providing the details, and announced it would delay the ceasefire coming into force as a result.

It was due to begin at 8.30am local time, which was 5.30pm Australian eastern daylight time.

The three hostages are 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old British Israeli Emily Damari, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.

The initial list of 33 hostages slated for release had been drafted by Israel, but Hamas is meant to alert authorities prior to returning hostages in smaller groups of three or four at a time.

There is no word on what this announcement from Hamas means for the start of the ceasefire.

Hardline minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has made good on his promise to quit the Netanyahu government if the ceasefire deal were to be ratified.

He was the government’s national security minister and the head of the Jewish Power party, a member of the governing coalition.

Last week he formally announced he would quit if the deal was agreed to, calling the agreement between Israel and Hamas a “surrender”.

Reuters is now reporting he has left the government.

Israeli media is reporting that Hamas has supplied the names of the three hostages it plans to release later today.

Hamas’s failure to do this by 8:30am on Sunday (5:30pm AEDT) had been cited by Israeli PM and the country’s military as the reason it had continued bombing Gaza after the ceasefire deadline passed.

It remains to be seen if the attacks will now stop.

Israel’s military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari provided an update at 8:30am on Sunday, local time (as the ceasefire was supposed to be starting).

He said it was no longer going ahead as planned.

A lot of what Hagari said at the start of his briefing was about how commandos had captured and repatriated the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in Gaza in 2014.

At the end of his briefing, he spoke about the ceasefire. This is what he said:

“The IDF is deeply committed to returning all hostages. The IDF and ISA will continue to make every effort to bring all the hostages home, whether through operational and intelligence actions or as part of the agreement.

“This morning, we all expect the implementation of the agreement to return the hostages. As of this morning, Hamas has not fulfilled its obligation, and contrary to the agreement, has not provided the State of Israel with the names of the returning female hostages. The ceasefire will not come into effect so long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations. At the direction of the Prime Minister, the IDF will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip area as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations, with all that this entails.”

In Gaza, police and health workers performed the national anthem as the 8:30am ceasefire deadline passed, unaware that Israel had just pledged to continue its attacks amid a dispute with Hamas over hostages.

We’re getting some breaking news that the Israeli military has struck northern Gaza, after the ceasefire was delayed.

In a statement, the IDF says it “continues to operate and attack terrorist targets” in Gaza.

“A short time ago, several terrorist targets in the northern and central Gaza Strip were attacked with artillery fire and aircraft,” it said.

Gazan medics also told Reuters that Israeli fire had killed three in the eastern area of Gaza city.