Israel said eight of the 33 hostages who were to be released as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas have died.
This was reported by Israeli government spokesman David Manser, the BBC reports.
According to him, Israel has received hostage status from Hamas. This list coincides with Israeli intelligence data.
The first phase of the ceasefire is scheduled to last until early March — a total of 33 hostages and almost two thousand Palestinian prisoners are planned to be released during this time.
The first three hostages were released on the same day the deal went into effect, January 19. Four more were released later. That leaves 26 people who were to be released under the deal, eight of whom have died, according to Israeli authorities.
The next time the hostages are to be released is on January 30 and February 1.
Gaza ceasefire agreement
On the evening of January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. This could ease tensions in the Middle East, where conflicts continue in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
The ceasefire agreement was originally supposed to take effect today, January 19, at 08:30 AM, but Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip because Hamas failed to provide a list of hostages to be released today in time, thereby violating the terms of the agreement.
However, Hamas later provided a list of three hostages who would be released today, Israel confirmed this, and the agreement went into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time.
The media reports that in the first phase, IDF will withdraw to within 700 meters of the Gaza Strip, Israel will release approximately 2 000 Palestinians and Hamas will release 33 Israeli prisoners. Israel will allow the wounded in Gaza to move through the territory to receive medical care and will open the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The IDF troops will begin to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor.
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