Israel-Hamas ceasefire delayed as Netanyahu demands list of hostages, deadline missed

The planned ceasefire, agreed after a year of intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, is the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at winding down the 15-month war.

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Israel-Hamas ceasefire delayed as Netanyahu demands list of hostages, deadline missed

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been delayed as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would not begin until Hamas provides the names of the three hostages it was set to release later on Sunday in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners.

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The dispute had not been resolved when the deadline for the truce to begin passed at 8:30 am local time.

The planned ceasefire, agreed after a year of intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, is the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at winding down the 15-month war.

Negotiations on the far more difficult second phase of this ceasefire should begin in just over two weeks.

Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the six-week first phase and how the rest of the nearly 100 hostages in Gaza will be freed.

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