Middle East latest: Gaza ceasefire is delayed over dispute between Hamas and Israel

The Israeli military says it “continues to attack” inside the Gaza Strip as a dispute with Hamas delayed the start of a planned ceasefire.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesman, said the truce would not begin until Hamas hands over the names of three hostages to be released later on Sunday, echoing an earlier statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The truce had been set to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.

Netanyahu said he had instructed the military that the ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed, which Hamas committed to provide.” He had issued a similar warning the night before.

The ceasefire was set to pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel's Cabinet approved the deal early on Saturday.

Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt in months of indirect talks between the warring sides, the ceasefire is the second truce achieved in the devastating conflict.

The Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.

Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.

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Here's the latest:

Israel says it recovered the body of a soldier killed in 2014 hours before Gaza ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli authorities said Sunday that forces had recovered and returned the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, whose remains were held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said a complicated operation involving elite commando forces returned the body of Oron Shaul overnight Saturday.

Shaul, 21 at the time of his death, was killed in battle in the war a decade ago. His body was snatched by Hamas and held since.

Hamas still holds the body of another soldier killed during that war, Hadar Goldin.

Both of the soldiers’ families had staged a public campaign to have the bodies returned.

The bodies were expected to be returned as part of a fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas in exchange for the hostages and bodies it holds.

UN's humanitarian affairs agency ramps up preparations to provide aid to Gaza

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N.’s humanitarian affairs agency says it has ratcheted up its preparations for providing aid to Gaza after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Muhannad Hadi, the agency’s humanitarian coordinator for the territory, said Saturday the United Nations and its partners are ready to leverage the opportunity for large-scale relief.

Hadi referenced in a statement the agreements reached on implementing humanitarian components in the first phase of the ceasefire, including the provision of supplies “including water, food, health and shelter to people across Gaza and the long-awaited release of hostages.”

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas it set to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said. It will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Dozens of Israelis protest ceasefire deal in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israelis protested the ceasefire deal in Jerusalem on Saturday night, briefly blocking a main road as they shouted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and the war to continue.

Many carried faux coffins draped in the Israeli flag as well as banners calling the ceasefire a “betrayal” of Israeli soldiers killed in the war.

Yehoshua Shin, whose son was killed fighting Hamas militants on Oct. 7, criticized the deal for releasing Palestinians from prison and called on American president- elect Donald Trump to scrap the deal until there is “total victory” over the Hamas militant group.

Netanyahu says Israel treating ceasefire with Hamas as temporary

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel is treating the ceasefire with Hamas as temporary and retains the right to continue fighting if necessary.

Speaking to the nation just 12 hours before the ceasefire is to start, he claimed that he had the support of President-elect Donald Trump, who he said he spoke with on Wednesday.

Netanyahu also touted Israel’s military successes in Lebanon and Syria as the reason Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. “We have changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu stressed that he was able to negotiate the best deal possible even as Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Saturday he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition.