The first three hostages were released from Gaza, and the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli custody, as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold following 15 months of war, with mixed emotions and more difficult steps ahead over the next six weeks.
Palestinians across Gaza began making their way home, and the first trucks with a surge of humanitarian aid began to enter the devastated territory.
Buses carrying the detainees exited the gates of Israel’s Ofer prison outside the West Bank city of Ramallah, as celebratory fireworks erupted. Palestinians thronged the buses or climbed on top, chanting and cheering.
Others filled streets, some waving flags, and horns sounded. The release occurred over seven hours after the first hostages were freed.
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The ceasefire that began on Sunday morning raises hopes for ending the devastating conflict and returning the nearly 100 remaining hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. But major questions remain about whether fighting will resume after the six-week first phase.
First came the release of 28-year-old Emily Damari, 24-year-old Romi Gonen and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher in a tense handover to the Red Cross on a Gaza City street. Footage showed them surrounded by a crowd of thousands, accompanied by masked, armed men wearing green Hamas headbands.
The women were taken to Israeli forces and then into Israel, where they hugged family members fiercely and wept. Damari was shown raising her bandaged hand in triumph. The military said she lost two fingers in the Oct. 7 attack.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of people who gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in applause. For months, many had gathered in the square weekly to demand a ceasefire deal.
“An entire nation embraces you,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Several hours later, the first Palestinian prisoners were released. They had been detained for what Israel called offenses related to its security, from throwing stones to more serious accusations such as attempted murder.
Israel’s military, which occupies the West Bank, warned Palestinians against public celebration. The release took place in the middle of the night in what Palestinians criticized as an attempt to dampen the mood.
The most prominent detainee being freed was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a member of a secular leftist faction that was involved in attacks against Israel in the 1970s but later scaled back militant activities. Since her arrest in late 2023, she was held under indefinitely renewable administrative detention orders that were criticized by human rights groups.
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The next release of hostages and prisoners comes Saturday, with 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to be freed over the ceasefire’s 42-day first phase. In just over two weeks, talks are to begin on the far more challenging second phase.
This is just the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.
But Netanyahu, who had been under pressure from both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to achieve a deal before Monday’s U.S. inauguration, has said he has Trump’s backing to continue fighting if necessary.
Meanwhile, Israel’s hard-line national security minister said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire, reflecting the political friction that some Israelis said delayed a deal. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure weakens Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.
Palestinians celebrate despite delay
Across the Gaza Strip, celebrations erupted as people hoped for respite after the fighting killed tens of thousands, destroyed large areas of the territory and displaced most of its population.
Masked militants appeared at some celebrations, where crowds chanted slogans in support of them, according to Associated Press reporters in Gaza. The Hamas-run police began deploying in public after mostly lying low due to Israeli airstrikes.
Some families set off for home on foot, their belongings loaded on donkey carts.
In the southern city of Rafah, residents returned to find massive destruction. Some found human remains including skulls in the rubble.
“It’s like you see a Hollywood horror movie,” resident Mohamed Abu Taha told the AP as he inspected the ruins of his family's home.
Israelis divided over ceasefire deal
Reactions in Israel were varied, as people hoped for the hostages' safe return but remained divided over the agreement.
“It’s a new day,” Nissan Kalderon, the brother of hostage Ofer Kalderon, 54, told Israeli Channel 12. “Don’t stop. Bring all the hostages home.”
Asher Pizem, 35, from the city of Sderot near Gaza, said he eagerly awaited the hostages' return but said the deal had merely postponed the next confrontation with Hamas. He also criticized Israel for allowing aid into Gaza, saying it would contribute to the militant group's revival.
“They will take the time and attack again,” he said while overlooking Gaza's smoldering ruins from a small hill in southern Israel with other Israelis who gathered there.
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Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire early Saturday in a rare session during the Jewish Sabbath, more than two days after mediators announced the deal.
Immense toll
The toll of the war has been immense, and new details on its scope will now emerge.
Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, 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 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants abducted around 250 others. More than 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
Some 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced. The United Nations says homes, the health system, road networks and other vital infrastructure have been badly damaged. Rebuilding — if the ceasefire reaches its final phase — will take several years at least. Major questions about Gaza’s future, political and otherwise, remain unresolved.
