Israel-Gaza ceasefire live: Benjamin Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire is delayed until Hamas releases list of hostages to be freed

Israel hardline minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned over the ceasefire deal.

According to reports on Israel’s Channel 12, Hamas has now provided the list of names of hostages set to be released.

This is yet to be officially confirmed, but a Hamas official said just moments before that the list would be handed over ‘any moment’.

They blamed ‘complexities’ in Gaza and Israeli bombing for the delays.

At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Gaza this morning by Israeli military strikes, the Palestinian civil emergency service has said.

The IDF has been carrying out airstrikes amid the delay in the truce which would have paused 15 months of war.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said earlier the implementation of a ceasefire was delayed as Hamas had not fulfilled its obligation to send Israel the list of hostages to be released on the first day.

Under the first phase of the truce, 33 hostages are expected to be released over the next six weeks, including women, ‘children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded’.

In return, Israel will free between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The list of hostages due to be released as soon as Sunday includes Oded Lifschitz, an 84-year-old Israeli with family in Britain.

Daughter Sharone Lifschitz told the BBC from her east London home this week that she hoped her father was still alive.

‘Miracles do happen,’ she said.

Below is the list of 33 hostages set to be released that has been circulating on Israel media.

• Liri Albag,
• Itzhak Elgarat,
• Karina Ariev,
• Ohad Ben Ami,
• Ariel Bibas,
• Yarden Bibas,
• Kfir Bibas,
• Shiri Bibas,
• Agam Berger,
• Gonen Romi,
• Daniella Gilboa,
• Emily Damari,
• Sagui Dekel Chen,
• Iair Horn,
• Omer Wenkert,
• Alexandre Sasha Troufanov,
• Arbel Yehoud,
• Ohad Yahalomi,
• Eliya Cohen,
• Or Levy,
• Naama Levy,
• Oded Lifshitz,
• Gadi Moshe Mozes,
• Avraham (Avera) Mengisto,
• Shlomo Mantzur,
• Keith Samuel Sigal,
• Tsachi Idan,
• Ofer Kalderon,
• Tal Shoham,
• Doron Steinbrecher,
• Omer Shem Tov,
• Hisham Al-Sayed,
• Eli Sharabi

The IDF says it is continuing to ‘strike terrorist targets in Gaza’ amid the delay in the ceasefire.

The military said it is carrying out aircraft strikes in the northern and central areas.

Hundreds of Gazans were seen cheering and celebrating after 6.30am in the central city of Deir el-Balah, the time when the ceasefire was to come into effect.

Many were taking pictures on their mobile phones, clapping and hugging each other.

About 30 minutes later, footage showed a thick plume of grey smoke rising over northeastern Gaza.

According to the ceasefire agreement, the names of the list of hostages should have been provided 24 hours before the exchange – sometime after 4pm local time today.

Hamas says it is still committed to the deal but blamed ‘technical field reasons’ for it providing the names of the three people it planned to set free.

The deal comes in three stages the first six-week phase set to see more than 30 hostages released.

Israeli forces have also agreed to withdraw to the east away from the densely populated areas of Gaza as part of the deal.

British hostage Emily Damari will be released as part of the deal between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reports.

The 28-year-old has been held in Gaza since she was shot in the hand and leg when snatched from her home in southern Israel during the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Under a deal finally agreed this week, 33 hostages are expected to be released, including women, ‘children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded’.

Read the full story below.

Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari made the announcement in a televised statement this morning.

The IDF continues to strike within the Gaza area at this time. According to the prime minister’s directives, the ceasefire will not come into effect until Hamas fulfils its commitments

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement this morning to say a ceasefire with Hamas had been delayed, just moments before the deal was due to come into effect at 6.30am.

It instructed the military not to begin the ceasefire.

Netanyahu warned last night the first phase of the deal would not go ahead until the terrorist group issued the list of hostages due to be released.