Qatar's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al Ansari confirmed on Sunday that the Gaza ceasefire has officially begun as a list of three hostages to be released that day has been handed over to Israel.

Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of more hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, mediator Qatar announced on Wednesday evening.

Mediator Qatar says the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time.

JERUSALEM: Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their homes on Sunday (Jan 19), after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas

Egypt, Qatar, and the US issued a joint statement on Wednesday on the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas for the exchange of prisoners and detainees and the establishment of sustainable calm,

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time, mediator Qatar announced Saturday.

This 42-day ceasefire aims to halt the 15-month conflict and facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Qatar says the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttled between the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha on Tuesday, where officials said a deal to halt the war is near.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said the U.S. wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

The anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, began in Gaza at 11:15 local time (09:15 GMT), nearly three hours after initially scheduled. Ahram Online provides a live coverage of the events which could signal the start of the end of 470 days of a genocidal Israeli war that killed and wounded nearly 10 percent of the 2.