New Delhi [India], January 19 : As the ceasefire agreement with Hamas came into effect today, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, emphasised that it could help in bringing back the hostages and ensuring that Hamas is not able to repeat a "massacre" of Israelis like the October 7 attack.
Highligthing the regional security dynamics, he stressed on the need to stop Iran's "quest" for nuclear weapons. Ambassador Azar also warned that "peace won't prevail" if Hamas is allowed to rearm and regroup.
"The ceasefire Israel signed off to is the first phase of a gradual deal which has the potential of bringing back our hostages and also making sure Hamas won't be ever able to massacre Israelis like it did on October 7th," he said.
"Peace won't prevail if Hamas is allowed to rearm and regroup. The Middle East has changed. The Iranian radical regime still constitutes the biggest threat to our region, but it has lost Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. With enough international pressure, we can make sure it stops its quest for nuclear weapons. "
He thanked the Indian government as well as the Indian people for its constant and "overwhelming" support.
"I'd like to thank the Indian government for supporting our right to self-defence, and we especially appreciate the overwhelming support of the Indian people," the envoy further said.
Earlier in the day, the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, came into effect.
Notably, the ceasefire deal suffered a delay hours before the implementation of the deal, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would not proceed with the agreed framework until Hamas provided the list of hostages to be released, adding that any violations of the agreement would "not be tolerated".
Earlier, the Israel PM Office confirmed that it received the list of hostages who were expected to be released today by Hamas in accordance with the framework of the deal.
It further informed that Brigadier General Gal Hirsch will act as the coordinator for hostages and the missing. The Israel PM Office also called for the protection of the privacy of the families of the hostages to the media and the public.
Earlier this week, the Israeli government approved the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas by a vote of 24-8, according to a report by Times of Israel.
The Israel government's hostages and missing persons coordination unit on Friday notified the families of the 33 Israeli hostages expected to be set free in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams signed the deal in Doha early Friday after clearing the final hurdles. Both the US and Qatar, who mediated the negotiations, announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to end the 15-month war in Gaza triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.
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