The Israeli government has approved a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages, with the time the truce is due to come into effect set for 6.30am (UK time).
Saturday 18 January 2025 10:03, UK
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As mentioned in our previous post, sirens sounded across central Israel today, with the army saying it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen.
It comes as the Iran-backed Houthis step up their missile attacks.
Images have now begun to emerge of people taking shelter as the sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.
We can bring you a little more information now on reports we brought you earlier of sirens sounding out across Israel (see post at 8.25am).
The Israeli military has said sirens sounded in central Israel as it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
While we don’t have more details yet, we do know that the Iran-backed Houthi group has repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what it has described as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
There is a “great deal of anxiety” about this ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, our international correspondent Alex Rossi reports.
He says “all the main hurdles” seem to be out of the way and it does appear that the truce will go ahead.
“The actual mechanism of the prisoner and hostage exchange are not clear,” he adds.
“Hostages will be exchanged at three points in Gaza but the details are still to be released.”
In the first stage of the potential ceasefire, 33 hostages are to be set free over the course of six weeks – with at least three released each week.
In return for the release of the hostages, Israel will free between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has congratulated Palestinians for the Gaza ceasefire deal.
In his first comments since the truce was agreed, he said the truce proved the “persistence of resistance” against Israel.
“This deal, which was unchanged from what was proposed in May 2024, proves the persistence of resistance groups, which took what they wanted while Israel was not able to take what it sought,” Qassem said in a speech.
Qassem is Hezbollah’s new leader and replaced Hassan Nasrallah after his assassination in Beirut at the end of September last year.
Sirens are currently sounding across central Israel, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Israeli government is reporting.
The sirens come ahead of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which will go into effect in less than 24 hours.
Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza after its government approved a deal last night.
While it’s impossible to know the exact conditions in which hostages have been held, the Health Ministry and the Hostages Family Forum, which represents families of the hostages, are preparing for several different scenarios based on information they have gathered.
Hagai Levine, who heads the health team at the forum, told the Associated Press that he expects the hostages to return with cardiovascular and respiratory issues due to a lack of ventilation in the tunnels.
He also expects vitamin deficiencies, starvation, dramatic weight loss, vision problems due to a lack of sunlight, broken bones, cognitive impairment and mental health trauma.
Six hospitals are preparing to receive hostages, including two in the south, closer to Gaza, that will treat those with acute medical issues, health ministry officials have said.
To minimise the hostages’ trauma, officials will try to limit the number of people who interact with them and have made accommodations to lessen their sensory stimulation, such as stripping down the hospital rooms and changing the lighting.
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that will see 33 hostages set free in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from parts of Gaza has been reached.
The pause in the fighting will take effect tomorrow morning at 6.30am UK time.
The multi-stage deal will also allow a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been devastated by more than a year of war.
Details of what the agreement entails have been emerging on Wednesday after the initial news of the deal broke.
Here’s what we know so far:
We brought you reports last night that Israel’s full cabinet has approved the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Now Qatari officials who brokered the deal have said the ceasefire will come into effect at 6.30am UK time.
Here is what we know so far…
The Israeli government has approved a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners that will pause the 15-month war with Hamas for six weeks.
The government announced the approval last night and confirmed the ceasefire will go into effect on Sunday.
Mediators in Qatar and the US announced the ceasefire on Wednesday, but the deal was in limbo for more than a day.
In its first stage, the deal would see 33 of the 98 hostages freed over the course of six weeks. About half of the 98 are believed to be alive.
The remainder are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
Between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian prisoners and detainees will be released in exchange, depending on the number of hostages freed.
Welcome back to our live coverage after the Israeli government approved a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Before we bring you the latest from the deal, here is an overview of the last 24 hours:
We’ll be bringing you live updates and analysis throughout the day.
We’re pausing our live coverage for the evening.
If you’re just checking in, here is a recap of the key moments over the last 24 hours.
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