A ceasefire after 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip is turning into a thriller that must take effect by 8:30 a.m. to be followed by the first hostage releases in the afternoon as Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement in a message Sunday morning saying Israel has not yet received the list of hostages released and that this will delay the agreement’s entry into force.

The statement said there was a meeting overnight “regarding the delay. Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the IDF that the ceasefire will not begin until Israel has in its hands the list of hostages that Hamas has promised to provide.” Israeli officials said the list should have been given by Saturday afternoon.

Hamas-affiliated media outlets reported in the early morning that Israeli troops had begun withdrawing from areas of Rafah, with no confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

The Trump-Netanyahu messages and threats

On Friday afternoon, concern was raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements that Israel will not observe the ceasefire until it receives the list of 33 hostages that Hamas has pledged to release. At the same time, Netanyahu warned that this was a “temporary ceasefire” and that Israel retains “the right to restart the war if necessary, with the support of the United States.”

An hour later Donald Trump said he told Israel’s prime minister “just keep doing what you have to do. This has to end. We want it to end, but keep doing what needs to be done,” warning that the agreement must be respected or “all hell will break loose.” “If we are respected, it will last. If they don’t respect us, all hell will break loose,” he said

The three phases

Under the terms of the agreement reached shortly before the White House changed the baton, the “first phase”, which will last six weeks, will see a cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and the release of 33 Hamas hostages. In return, Israel will release 737 Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli Justice Ministry has announced.

According to outgoing US President Joe Biden, the “first phase” of the ceasefire will see Israeli forces withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. The Egyptian authorities spoke of a “daily influx of 600 humanitarian aid trucks”, of which 50 will carry fuel.

Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire will begin on the 16th day of the first phase and are expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Palestinian enclave.

The third phase will include the return of all dead hostages and the beginning of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

The Israeli army calls on Gaza residents to stay away from its forces and the neutral zone

Meanwhile, the Israeli army called on Gaza Strip residents not to approach its forces and not to head to the neutral zone before the ceasefire with Hamas takes effect at 08:30 (local time and Greek time).

“We urge you not to head towards the neutral zone or the (Israeli army) forces,” Avihai Adrai, the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesman, said in a Telegram post.

“At this stage you will be in danger if you head towards the neutral zone or if you move from the southern part (of the enclave) to the northern part through the Gaza Valley. Anyone who heads towards these areas is putting himself in danger,” he stressed.

The delay by Hamas

With Hamas having not provided by late Saturday night the list requested by Israel of the names of the first hostages it will release after the ceasefire agreement begins, a source in the Palestinian organization told the Ynet news website that the delay was due to “technical reasons.”

According to the same source, Hamas operatives communicate “naturally through emissaries and it takes time to agree on the names and location of the hostages when IDF planes are still overhead.”

“The list will be released only after Hamas leader Mohammed Shinwar (Yassir’s brother) approves it,” the source added.

At the same time, media sources linked to Hamas said that IDF forces have begun withdrawing from areas in Rafah and are instead regrouping along the Philadelphia corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.