A temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel brought a momentary reprieve to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, marking the first day of an agreement to suspend a brutal 15-month war that has ravaged the region.
As part of the truce, Hamas released three Israeli hostages, while Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners, providing a rare glimmer of hope amidst the devastation.
In Tel Aviv, emotional scenes unfolded as hundreds of Israelis gathered outside the defense headquarters to celebrate the return of three female hostages: Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari.
The Israeli military shared a video showing the women in good health, including Damari, who smiled and embraced her mother while displaying her bandaged hand after losing two fingers during her abduction.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the hostages via phone, said, “Romi, Doron, and Emily – an entire nation embraces you. Welcome home.” The women were later reunited with their families at Sheba Medical Center, where tearful embraces turned to relief and laughter.
In the West Bank’s Ramallah, buses carrying 90 Palestinian prisoners were met with jubilant celebrations. Fireworks illuminated the night sky as thousands gathered to greet the released detainees, including 69 women and 21 teenage boys.
The ceasefire has allowed Palestinians in Gaza to venture back into neighborhoods obliterated by relentless airstrikes. In the war-torn northern Gaza Strip, residents picked through rubble, searching for remnants of their former lives.
Aya, a displaced resident, described the moment as “like finding water after being lost in the desert for 15 months.”
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Relief trucks carrying essential aid entered Gaza, providing some relief to the 2.3 million people who have endured immense suffering. However, the scale of destruction has left nearly the entire population homeless, according to local officials.
The truce outlines a six-week first phase, during which fighting will cease, aid will flow into Gaza, and 33 more Israeli and foreign hostages will be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, the agreement’s fragility was underscored by a three-hour delay in its implementation.
In those final hours, Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza, killing 13 people. Israel attributed the delay to Hamas’s late submission of the hostage list, while Hamas cited technical issues.
The ceasefire has sparked varied reactions within Israel. Hardliner National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir resigned from the cabinet in protest but refrained from threatening Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, another prominent hardliner, warned he would resign if the war concludes without Hamas’s complete dismantling.
For Hamas, the ceasefire allowed fighters to emerge from hiding and assert their presence. In the southern city of Khan Younis, armed militants were greeted with chants of support as they paraded through the streets.
U.S. President Joe Biden, on his final day in office, welcomed the ceasefire, attributing the breakthrough to U.S. support for Israel’s military pressure on Hamas.
His successor, President-elect Donald Trump, signaled continued backing for Israel, with his national security adviser-designate, Mike Waltz, warning of consequences if Hamas reneges on the deal.
Despite the ceasefire, the mood in Gaza remains somber. Ahmed Abu Ayham, a resident of Gaza City, reflected on the heavy toll of the conflict: “We are in pain, deep pain, and it is time to hug one another and cry.”