JERUSALEM / CAIRO - The Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement delivered on Sunday the names of the three hostages who would be released today, a Palestinian official source said on Sunday.

The source told Xinhua that Hamas had delivered the names of the three hostages in the upcoming minutes to start the ceasefire in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Hamas said that the delay in delivering the names of the hostages came as a result of field technical reasons, adding that it is committed to the ceasefire agreement.

The long-anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was scheduled to take effect on Sunday morning, but Israel announced it would not engage in the ceasefire, claiming that Hamas failed to provide a list of the first three hostages set to be released later in the day.

The announcement came at 8:30 am local time (0630 GMT), when the agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, was set to go into effect.

"As of this morning, Hamas has not fulfilled its commitment, and, contrary to the agreement, the names of the hostages scheduled for release have not been provided to Israel," Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a live broadcast.

He added that, under instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "the ceasefire will not take effect as long as Hamas fails to meet its obligations."

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Hagari said the Israel Defense Forces were continuing its operations in Gaza and would maintain the strikes "as long as Hamas does not adhere to the agreement."

Earlier on Sunday, Hamas issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the deal, claiming the delay in delivering the names of the first three hostages was "due to technical reasons and reasons on the ground."

Israeli strikes in Gaza continued overnight and into Sunday morning. At least eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli army attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a Palestinian official said.

Netanyahu said on Saturday evening that "if we have to return to war, we will do so in new ways and with great force."

In a video statement on the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Netanyahu noted that both outgoing US President Joe Biden and incoming President Donald Trump have given full backing to Israel's right to return to fighting if negotiations on the second phase of the agreement are "futile."

Netanyahu noted that in a conversation with him on Wednesday evening, Trump emphasized that the first phase of the agreement is a temporary ceasefire.

Netanyahu stated that Israel will maintain the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza borders, adding, "Not only will we not reduce the forces there, we will even increase them a little." He noted that Israeli forces will be deployed inside the Gaza Strip and will close it off from all sides.

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"We will not allow weapons to be smuggled in, nor allow our hostages to be smuggled out," Netanyahu said.

He added that most of the 33 Israeli hostages, who are due to be released starting Sunday in the first phase of the agreement, are alive.

Egypt had announced on Saturday that Israel will release more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Hamas releasing 33 Israeli detainees during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

During the first phase of the planned ceasefire, extending for 42 days, Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees in exchange for Israel releasing more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

It emphasized the commitment of the mediators to ensure the full and timely implementation of the agreement in all its three stages.

Furthermore, Egypt urged the international community to provide all necessary humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people and to develop an urgent plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.

Egypt stressed the importance of accelerating the development of a roadmap to rebuild trust between the two sides, noting that this roadmap should facilitate a return to the negotiating table and address the Palestinian cause within the framework of the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

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This solution aims to establish an independent Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to the statement.

Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the United States, will establish a joint operations room headquartered in Egypt, the statement said, adding that this room will be responsible for monitoring the exchange of detainees and prisoners, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the movement of individuals after the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

Since Oct 7, 2023, Hamas and Israel have been engaged in a fierce conflict that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza and caused unprecedented destruction. The conflict began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing Israelis and taking hostages.