By Samy Magdy, Tia Goldenberg, and Wafaa Shufafa, Associated Press
AL-BALAH DEIR, Gaza Strip Hours after the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold, the military declared on Sunday that the first three hostages freed from Gaza had reached Israel. Their moms were anticipating their arrival.
The three women were seen walking to Red Cross vehicles as their convoy passed through Gaza City in live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which was carried by Israeli media. Armed men wearing green Hamas headbands accompanied the trucks, fighting to protect them from a rowdy mob that grew into the thousands.
Since the three would be sent for a medical evaluation, no more looks were anticipated at this time. During his brief remarks as they arrived in Israel, President Joe Biden stated that they seemed to be in good health.
Thousands of people in Tel Aviv cheered as they watched the news on big screens. People had been gathering in the square for months to call for a ceasefire agreement.
Hopes for the release of dozens of hostages held by militants and the end of the catastrophic 15-month battle are bolstered by the truce, which brings about an initial six-week period of calm. The truce’s vulnerability was brought to light by a last-minute delay by Hamas that delayed its start by over three hours.
Celebrations erupted around the region and several Palestinians started going back to their houses even before the truce went into effect.
Later on Sunday, 90 Palestinian inmates will be released. Families and friends gathered with excitement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as people waved the Palestinian flag and cars honked.
The ceasefire, which went into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time, is the first step toward bringing the crisis to a close and bringing back the almost 100 captives that were taken during the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023.
On Sunday, January 19, 2025, friends and family of those killed and kidnapped by Hamas and transported to Gaza react as they assemble in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Oded Balilty/AP Photo)AP
Doron Steinbrecher, 31, Emily Damari, 28, and Romi Gonen, 24 were freed. The others were taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Gonen was kidnapped from the Nova music festival. Damari is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Israel.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli fire killed at least 26 individuals between 8:30 a.m. and the time the ceasefire was established. Whether they were fighters or civilians was not specified. As Israeli forces withdraw into a buffer zone within Gaza, the military has issued a warning to the public to avoid them.
Meanwhile, Israel’s hard-line national security minister announced that his Jewish Power bloc was refusing to serve in the cabinet because of the ceasefire deal.Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is weakened by Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure, but the truce will remain unaffected.
Separately, Israel declared that it had conducted a special operation in Gaza and found the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas conflict. Following the 2014 conflict, Shaul’s and Hadar Goldin’s bodies were still there and had not been brought back.
Fragile agreement
Following a year of mediation by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, the ceasefire agreement was declared last week. Both the team of President-elect Donald Trump and the departing Biden administration had pushed for an agreement to be achieved prior to Monday’s inauguration.
Netanyahu issued a warning on Saturday, saying he has Trump’s support to fight on if needed.
Hundreds of Palestinian inmates and detainees should be freed during the ceasefire’s first 42-day phase, and 33 hostages from Gaza should be repatriated. It should allow many Palestinians who have been displaced to return home.
Additionally, hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid are expected to enter Gaza every day, which is significantly more than Israel previously permitted. Following the implementation of the truce, trucks began to enter through two crossings, according to the United Nations World Food Program.
This is only the second ceasefire in the war, and it has the ability to permanently end the combat. It is also lengthier and more significant than a week-long respite in November 2023.
On Sunday, January 19, 2025, displaced Palestinians return to their homes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, leaving areas of Khan Younis. (Photo by Jehad Alshrafi for AP)
In a little more than two weeks, negotiations on the much more challenging second phase of this truce should start. There are still many unanswered issues, such as whether the battle will continue after the initial phase and how the remaining hostages in Gaza will be released.
Palestinians celebrate despite delay
After the war killed tens of thousands of people, damaged large portions of the Gaza Strip, and displaced the majority of its population, celebrations broke out all throughout the region as residents hoped for some reprieve.
Associated Press correspondents in Gaza said that during some festivities, masked militants showed up as crowds chanted pro-Muslim slogans. After largely remaining silent owing to Israeli airstrikes, the Hamas-run police started to deploy in public.
Some families piled their stuff onto donkey carts and walked home.
When residents of the southern city of Rafah returned, they discovered extensive damage. In the debris, some people discovered human remains, including skulls.
As he saw the remains of his family’s house, local Mohamed Abu Taha told the AP, “It’s like you see a Hollywood horror movie.”
Israelis divided over ceasefire deal
The accord caused division among Israelis.
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.
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. The head of the Rafah municipality in Gaza, Ahmed al-Sufi, said Israel s military had destroyed a large part of the infrastructure, including water, electricity and road networks, in addition to thousands of homes.
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 phasewill take several years at least. Major questions about Gaza s future, political and otherwise, remain unresolved.
Magdy reported from Cairo and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Sam Mednick in Ramallah, West Bank, and Mohammad Jahjouh in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
Follow AP s war coverage athttps://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
More in Nation-World News