(NewsNation) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not stick to the ceasefire deal if Hamas does not release the names of the hostages set to be released Sunday.
The ceasefire deal reached between Hamas and Israel was to take effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 8:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m. ET), Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
However, later on Saturday Netanyahu said, "We will not move forward with the plan until we receive the list of the abductees to be released, as agreed upon. Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement.
"The sole responsibility is on Hamas," he added.
On Friday, Israel's government approved the timeline for the return of Hamas-held hostages as part of the deal. The first round of releases is set to begin on Sunday, the day before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
Netanyahu said Friday in a statement that the decision was made after "examining all the political, security and humanitarian aspects, and with the understanding that the proposed transaction supports the achievement of the war's goals."
"I welcome the Israeli security Cabinet's decision to approve the hostage deal, which will bring our hostages home, as presented by the Prime Minister and the negotiating team. I expect the government to follow suit in swiftly affirming this decision,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. "This is a vital step toward fulfilling the highest covenant between the state and its citizens.”
The deal marks a pause in the war in Gaza, which has now gone on for more than a year. Even after a deal is signed and approved by Israel's Cabinet, it will likely be challenged before the country's Supreme Court.
Nevertheless, U.S. lawmakers are hopeful the deal will move forward.
"I am more optimistic about this deal reaching an accord on Sunday than I had been previously," Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., told NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas on Thursday.
Auchincloss said his optimism stems from the change in external circumstances, specifically the weakening of Hamas and other terror groups in the region.
President Joe Biden envoy Brett McGurk and President-elect Donald Trump envoy Steve Witkoff worked with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to secure the ceasefire and hostage agreement, a U.S. official told NewsNation on Thursday.
A special focus was put on hostages considered "humanitarian cases," including women, children, people older than 50, and the sick or injured.
Addressing the deal Thursday, Biden noted the agreement reached was the same one he proposed months ago. Biden also touted the weakening of Iran-backed Hezbollah and other enemies of Israel in the region.
"With this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild," Biden said. "They can finally look to a future where Hamas is no longer in power."
Biden took credit for negotiating the deal while noting it would be implemented by the incoming administration. The president noted that the deal sets the stage for a more peaceful future in the Middle East and hopes the incoming White House will continue on that path.
NBC News reported that fighting in Gaza and a series of airstrikes killed at least 115 people since Wednesday, when the ceasefire deal was first announced, according to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense agency.
Three-phase deal
The deal includes multiple phases. Phase one will include the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children and men over 50 years old.
Not all American hostages are expected to be released during this phase, a U.S. official source tells NewsNation. Two American citizens — Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen — are on the list of hostages to be released in the first six-week phase. Two French-Israeli nationals are also set to be released, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, said.
The process for releasing the remaining American hostages, including those who have died, is ongoing.
Palestinians are expected to be able to return to their homes during phase one.
Talks on the second phase will begin by Day 16 of the first phase. This phase is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent truce and a complete Israeli exit from Gaza. This phase is where conflicts could emerge when it comes to security concerns and the question of who will govern Gaza.
The ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations are ongoing should they last more than six weeks. The temporary ceasefire is set to become permanent during phase two.
The third phase is expected to involve the return of bodies of dead hostages and the beginning of Gaza's reconstruction.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani thanked all international partners for helping reach a deal and noted Qatar would be watching to ensure the agreement was met by all parties.
He emphasized the need for both sides to commit to all three phases of the deal.
Names of hostages to be released
The Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post reported the names of the 33 people set to be released in the deal.
They are:
- Liri Albag
- Itzhik Elgarat
- Karina Ariev
- Ohad Ben-Ami
- Ariel Bibas
- Yarden Bibas
- Kfir Bibas
- Shiri Silberman Bibas
- Agam Berger
- Romi Gonen
- Danielle Gilboa
- Emily Damari
- Sagui Dekel-Chen
- Yair Horn
- Omer Wenkert
- Alexander Troufanov
- Arbel Yehud
- Ohad Yahalomi
- Eliya Cohen
- Or Levy
- Naama Levy
- Oded Lifshitz
- Gadi Moshe Moses
- Avera Mengistu
- Shlomo Mansur
- Keith Siegel
- Tsahi Idan
- Ofer Calderon
- Tal Shoham
- Doron Steinbrecher
- Omer Shem-Tov
- Hisham Al Sayed
- Eli Sharabi
Reactions to the deal
Trump celebrated the deal on Truth Social, taking credit for the success and saying it would not have happened if he had not won in November.
When a reporter asked Biden if he or Trump deserved credit for the deal, Biden responded by asking if the question was a joke.
The House Foreign Relations Committee released a statement crediting Trump for the successful negotiations.
On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu spoke with Trump and Biden separately, thanking them for their "assistance in advancing the release of the hostages and for helping Israel bring an end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families."
The conflict in Gaza
In 2023, around 100 hostages were released during a negotiated pause in fighting while 240 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails.
Human rights organizations have warned of a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, which has long been blockaded, leaving civilians unable to flee the area. Instead, they are displaced to different parts of the Gaza Strip as Israel has announced evacuation orders in cities and towns prior to military strikes.
Israel says 405 soldiers have been killed in the conflict, while Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed. It is not clear how many of those are combatants and how many are civilians.
NewsNation's Robert Sherman and Kevin Bohn and The Associated Press contributed to this story.