The Israeli military said it was "continuing attacks" on the Gaza Strip as a dispute with Hamas delayed the start of a planned ceasefire.

The military's chief spokesman, Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari, said the truce would not begin until Hamas handed over the names of the three hostages to be released later on Sunday, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier statement.

The truce was scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Hamas blamed "technical reasons" for the delay in handing over the names. It said in a statement it was committed to the ceasefire announced last week.

Netanyahu said he had instructed the military that "the ceasefire will not begin until Israel has a list of hostages to be released that Hamas has promised to provide." He had issued a similar warning the night before.

The ceasefire agreement aims to suspend fighting after 15 months of war and release dozens of hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel's cabinet approved the deal early Saturday.

The ceasefire, the second in the devastating conflict, follows months of indirect talks between the warring sides brokered by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

On October 7, 2023, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed approximately 1,200 people and captured approximately 250 others. There are still nearly 100 hostages in Gaza.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who did not distinguish between civilians and militants but said more than half of the dead were women and children.

___

This is the latest:

DEIR BALA, Gaza Strip - Israeli authorities said on Sunday that forces had recovered and returned the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war that was being held by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said Oron Shaul's body was returned overnight Saturday in a complex operation involving elite commandos.

Shaul was 21 when he died, having been killed in the war ten years earlier. His body was seized by Hamas and he has been imprisoned ever since.

Hamas still preserves the body of Hadar Goldin, another soldier killed in that war.

The families of both soldiers have launched a public campaign calling for the bodies to be returned.

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

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. humanitarian affairs agency said it has stepped up preparations to deliver aid to Gaza after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect.

The agency's humanitarian coordinator for the territory, Muhannad Hadi, said on Saturday that the United Nations and its partners were ready to take advantage of the opportunity for large-scale relief.

In a statement, Hadi referred to an agreement to implement the humanitarian component of the first phase of the ceasefire, which includes the provision of supplies to people across Gaza "including water, food, medical care and shelter, as well as the long-awaited release of hostages."

Mediator Qatar said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would come into effect at 8:30 am local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday. The fighting will be suspended after 15 months of war, and dozens of hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel will be released.

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

Many carried artificial coffins draped in Israeli flags, along with banners calling the ceasefire a "betrayal" of Israeli soldiers killed in the war.

Yehoshua Shin, whose son was killed in fighting with Hamas militants on October 7, criticized the deal to free Palestinians from prison and called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to Trump scrapped the deal until he "completely defeated" the militant group Hamas.

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel views the ceasefire with Hamas as temporary and reserves the right to continue fighting if necessary.

Just 12 hours before the ceasefire began, he addressed the nation and claimed he had the support of President-elect Donald Trump, whom he had spoken to on Wednesday.

Netanyahu also praised Israel's military successes in Lebanon and Syria as the reason why Hamas agreed to the ceasefire. "We changed the face of the Middle East," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu stressed that despite far-right Israeli Public Security Minister Itamar Bengvir saying on Saturday that he and most members of his party would resign from the opposition government, he would still be able to negotiate the best possible outcome agreement.