Israel-Hamas cease-fire slated for Sunday morning

Image via AP.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect in less than 24 hours, said Qatar’s foreign ministry on Saturday.

In a post on X, Qatar’s foreign minister said the ceasefire will start at 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) Sunday. He advised people to exercise caution when the agreement goes into effect and wait for directions from officials.

Early Saturday morning, Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

Despite the ceasefire news, sirens sounded across central Israel on Saturday, with the army saying it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks, in recent weeks. The group says the attacks are part of their campaign aimed at pressuring Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.

There were also continued Israeli strikes into Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 23 people were killed in the previous day.

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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.