Israeli occupation forces violated the ceasefire on the second day by carrying out deadly attacks in different parts of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas announced that the second prisoner exchange under the ceasefire agreement with Israel will take place on Saturday, as Israeli forces continue attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, violating the deal.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) confirms that the second batch of the prisoner exchange will take place on its scheduled date, Saturday, January 25, 2025,” the Palestinian group said on Monday via Telegram.
The first exchange took place on Sunday, under which Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners—predominantly women and children—from its jails. This came after Hamas handed over three Israeli female captives on the same day.
Brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the deal stipulates that Hamas hand over 33 captives during the first phase, which will last 42 days. The captives will include children, those aged above 50, as well as the sick and wounded.
Israel will release 1,890 Palestinians from its jails during the same phase.
Hamas and Israel have yet to announce the exact number and names of those who will be released in the next exchange.
The deal also outlines the withdrawal of Israeli forces eastwards, away from densely populated residential areas in the Gaza Strip.
The prisoner-captives exchanges will be completed throughout the deal, which aims to pave the way for a complete ceasefire in the besieged enclave.
A key element of the deal includes the entry of 600 daily aid trucks, including 50 containing fuel.
On Monday, Qatar launched a land bridge to supply the Gaza Strip with fuel under the directive of the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
A total of 25 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on the same day through the Karem Abu Salem crossing, carrying Qatar-funded fuel that will power hospitals, displacement shelters and other key infrastructures.
Under the initiative, Qatar will send 12,500,000 litres of fuel during the first 10 days of the ceasefire agreement, or 1,250,000 litres per day.
Israeli attacks persist
Despite the ceasefire being set to take effect on Sunday at 8:30 AM Jerusalem time, Israeli occupation forces continued attacking the Gaza Strip, killing at least 19 people. The truce was finally enforced at 11:15 AM local time.
On Monday, the second day of the agreement, Israeli forces resumed deadly attacks in the southern city of Rafah.
Citing its correspondents on the ground, Al Jazeera reported that Israeli occupation forces shot and killed two people in central Rafah.
Palestine’s news agency, Wafa, separately reported that Israeli occupation forces shot and killed Palestinian child, Zakariya Barbakh, and injured another on the same day.
Harrowing footage that circulated on social media showed the moment an Israeli sniper shot Barbakh and proceeded to fire at a young man who attempted to retrieve the child’s body.
On the same day, Al Jazeera also reported that Israeli soldiers shot and injured two Palestinians near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza Strip – the area that occupation forces are supposed to withdraw from under the deal.
The Qatar-based broadcaster then reported on Tuesday morning that Israeli gunboats fired at a Palestinian fisherman and injured him off the shore of Gaza City.
The attacks by Israeli forces attacks have marked a violation of the ceasefire deal while displaying Israel’s refusal to permanently halt its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians on the ground have also been recovering the decomposed bodies of their loved ones across the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip while creating a humanitarian catastrophe.
A study published by The Lancet journal on January 9 said the death toll is likely 40 percent higher than the figure shared by Palestine’s health authorities, taking into account thousands trapped under the rubble.