A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will come into force at 8:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT) on January 19, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said.
"As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza. We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official sources," al-Ansari said.
Earlier, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani announced that through mediation efforts by Doha, Cairo, and Washington, Israel and Hamas agreed on the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire. The agreement will take effect on January 19.
During the initial 42-day phase, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
