Deadline passes without Gaza ceasefire as Hamas fails to provide names of first hostages to be freed

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Hamas has not met ceasefire terms, delaying truce in Gaza Strip.

The deadline for the start of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip passed as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas had not lived up to its commitment to provide the names of the three hostages it was set to release later on Sunday (January 19, 2025) in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners.

The list had not been handed over when the deadline for the truce to begin passed at 8:30 a.m. local time, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the top Israeli military spokesman, said. He said the army “continues to attack, even now, inside the Gaza arena," and would until Hamas complies with the agreement.

Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.

An Israeli official said mediators have provided assurances that the list will be delivered and the deal is still expected to go forward, though the timing remains in question. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing efforts to resolve the matter.

Follow more: Israel-Hamas ceasefire LIVE: Netanyahu warns Gaza ceasefire will not begin without a list of hostages

Meanwhile, Israel announced that it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained in Gaza after the 2014 war and had not been returned despite a public campaign by their families.

Netanyahu said he had instructed the military that the ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed, which Hamas committed to provide.” He had issued a similar warning the night before.