Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:01pm on 19 Jan 2025,Sunday International
A delayed Gaza ceasefire began on January 19, allowing displaced Palestinians to return home. Hamas released three Israeli hostages, including dual nationals, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel struck Gaza before the truce due to the delay in receiving hostage details, killing 19 people. The ceasefire allows aid to flow into Gaza and Israeli forces to withdraw from populated areas. Negotiations for a second phase, involving more hostage releases and troop withdrawals, will start soon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the truce is temporary and war could resume. Gaza has seen over 46,910 deaths since the conflict began.
