The Gaza Strip saw the first signs of a truce on Sunday as Hamas released three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, marking the beginning of a 42-day ceasefire between the militant group and Israel.
The women, identified as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher, were handed over in Gaza City and are being transported to Israel.
The ceasefire, which took effect nearly three hours later than planned due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introducing a last-minute term relating to prisoner lists, has paused 15 months of intense conflict.
Hours before the truce, Israeli bombardments killed 19 people, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
In response to the truce, humanitarian aid has begun to flow into Gaza, with the first trucks entering the territory.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians have started returning to their devastated neighbourhoods, though many found only rubble and destruction. In northern Gaza, residents described scenes of unimaginable devastation, with bodies still trapped beneath debris and entire neighbourhoods obliterated.
The deal, mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages, with 31 taken during Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. In return, Israel will release approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, most of whom had been wrongfully detained for several months and years.
Egyptian officials confirmed that 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel would enter Gaza daily under the agreement. Israeli forces are also set to withdraw from densely populated areas, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
The truce has sparked cautious optimism in Israel, though many remain wary of its fragile nature. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the agreement as a temporary ceasefire and emphasised that Israel retains U.S. backing to resume military action if necessary.
This latest ceasefire follows months of relentless violence that began with Hamas’s October attack, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, Israel launched a military offensive that has devastated Gaza, killing at least 46,913 people, the majority of whom are women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
As aid workers began a massive effort to provide food, water, and shelter to northern Gaza, residents expressed relief tempered with grief. In Jabalia, one resident described returning to “rubble,” while another said the destruction was “unprecedented.”
The ceasefire, which coincided with the eve of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president, was credited by Trump as part of his administration’s efforts to secure peace.
Speaking to NBC, Trump stated that he had urged Netanyahu to pursue an end to the conflict while maintaining necessary security measures.
