The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas passed its first significant hurdle, with three hostages freed from Gaza and the first batch of 90 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody.
The long-awaited ceasefire was agreed to on Wednesday and began Sunday morning after a brief delay as Israel demanded a list of hostages to be released by Hamas. The ceasefire agreement has raised cautious hopes for an end to the 15-month war in Gaza, however, many challenges remain as the truce deal moves through its initial phase which is supposed to see a series of hostage and prisoner exchanges.
3 Israeli hostages released
Three Israeli hostages — Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher — were released by Hamas in a tense handover to the Red Cross in Gaza City.
The women were surrounded by a crowd of thousands, including masked armed Hamas militants, and later reunited with their families in Israel.
Damari, who lost two fingers during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, raised her bandaged hand in triumph.
Palestinian prisoners freed
Later, the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails, sparking celebrations in the West Bank, though Israeli military officials reportely cautioned against public displays of joy.
Among those released was Khalida Jarrar, a 62-year-old member of a leftist faction with a history of militant activities, according to an Associated Press report.
The ceasefire is set to last for 42 days, with a further 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners expected to be released in subsequent phases.
Negotiations for the second, more difficult phase are scheduled to begin in just over two weeks, however, uncertainty remains over whether the violence will resume after the initial phase.
As Israel begins to ease its military presence in Gaza, humanitarian organisations are ramping up efforts to address the immense destruction caused by the war. Over 630 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, with much-needed supplies heading to northern Gaza, where the destruction has been particularly severe.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, sparked Israel’s war on Gaza. The October 7 attack killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants abducted around 250 others from Israel. More than 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
In response, Israel’s operations have killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The war is said to have displaced 90 per cent of the population of Gaza, large parts of which have been reduced to rubble. Rebuilding Gaza, if the ceasefire reaches its final phase, is estimated to take several years at least.
