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Sounds of celebration replaced the sound of explosions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a fragile ceasefire began after 470 days of fighting, allowing some hostages to return home. Israel, the Palestinians imprisoned in Israel were released, and the Gazans were displaced. looking for what was left of his house.
Under the terms of a hard-earned agreement, fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas ceased at 11:15 a.m., bringing hopes of an end to the conflict that has left the Middle East in turmoil. fear and distrust.
The first hostages — three women taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 — were released soon after. Early Monday morning, the Israeli prison service said it had released 90 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, who were greeted with excitement by their families.
At the same time, aid deliveries increased — more than 630 trucks in one day — into Gaza.
Jubilant Palestinians honked horns and played music in the central Gaza city of Deir al Balah, where children were seen running through the streets. Israelis also celebrated as the hostages began to return, with anxious families awaiting the release of others.
But beneath the relief was the knowledge that this phase of the ceasefire would last only 42 days and would only free some of the hostages, and that there were major diplomatic hurdles ahead if it were to be extended. Israel and Hamas have reached a partial agreement to end the most violent conflict until a vague “second step” that neither side can reach.
As soon as the bombs stopped falling, masked gunmen and uniformed Hamas police came out of hiding and appeared on the streets of Gaza. The show of force was undeniable, showing that even after an intense Israeli military campaign aimed at destroying Hamas, the militant group remains the dominant Palestinian force in Gaza.
On Saturday night, as a ceasefire neared, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded enemies and allies that the first phase of the deal was temporary and that Israel could return to war if talks with the next step in the agreement. the truce is broken.
“We retain the right to go back to war, if necessary, with the support of the United States,” said Mr. Netanyahu, who was deeply divided over the ceasefire agreement. he said in a televised speech.
However, despite the worries of the weeks and months that followed, there were moments of joy on Sunday.
One of the freed hostages, Emily Damari, was seen smiling and leaning against the window of a van as she was taken to Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv. Mrs. Damari was freed 15 months ago when she was abducted from her home in a kibbutz in southern Israel. He was shot in the hand, and driven from his car, a militant at the wheel.
A photo of Ms. Damari released by the Israeli army on Sunday showed her still smiling, although the two middle fingers on her left hand were missing. The three hostages were later reunited with their relatives, who cried and hugged them tightly after more than a year of separation, according to photos released by the Israeli government. His parents, siblings and friends fought an international campaign for his freedom.
According to the agreement, Hamas is to gradually release 33 hostages, and in exchange Israel will release more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, including some serving life sentences for brutal attack on Israelis. Ninety of them – all women and minors – were released on Sunday.
Friends of the three hostages freed on Sunday danced, sang and waved Israeli flags in the air as they gathered at the hospital’s helipad. Ms Damari’s friend Gal Kubani, 28, said she was “overjoyed” at the news of her release and “proud of Emily for surviving this madness”.
In Gaza, the celebration was overshadowed by sadness. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Large areas have been destroyed, and many displaced people have no homes to return to.
Soon after the fighting stopped, waves of displaced Palestinians began heading north, anxious to see if any part of their homes remained.
Many people said they were determined to start rebuilding the lives they once knew, despite the massive devastation across the region. “There is a lot of joy in returning home, but it is mixed with sadness,” said Ahed al-Okka, 52, a construction worker from Gaza City.
For others like Suhaila Dawaas, a displaced Gazan who said she lost eight relatives in the war, grief overshadowed hope for the future. Her home was mostly destroyed, though she hoped to find some reminders of her family’s life in the ruins.
“I can’t say I’m happy about this termination,” said Ms. Dawaas, a 55-year-old mother of eight. “What is left for us after everything? After the endless loss, the destruction, the pain?”
Drone video captured in Gaza shows people walking across the desert. The densely populated areas of Gaza have become concrete lawns, the roads have turned to dust. With countless bodies still trapped under the rubble, members of Gaza’s Civilian Emergency Services began to work.
The war began after Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, Israel said, and taking 250 hostages. About 100 hostages remain in Gaza, though around a third are believed to be dead.
Israel and Hamas both kept some of their money. At the end of the first phase of the truce, Hamas will still have about two-thirds of the hostages. And Israel will continue to occupy the Gaza Strip, holding key prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian militant leader and political figure.
On Sunday, UN trucks carrying humanitarian supplies began entering Gaza, just 15 minutes after the ceasefire went into effect, according to Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN humanitarian aid office. UN status for the Palestinian territories. Lack of respect for the law and restrictions on humanitarian deliveries for months have reduced aid.
Two convoys carrying ready-made food packages and wheat flour arrived in the city on Sunday, one from the Kerem Shalom crossing in southeastern Gaza, and the other from the northern crossing, Martin Penner said. , spokesman for the United Nations. ‘ World Food Programme. The ceasefire agreement calls for 600 trucks to be allowed to bring aid to Gazans each day, although it is unclear how the supplies will be distributed.
The ceasefire has already opened a rift in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right defense minister, resigned in protest against the cabinet and expelled the Jewish Power party from the coalition on Sunday. The Religious Zionist Party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, suggested that it could do the same if Mr. Netanyahu after the first stop. Israel’s parliament, which could force the government to fall and force new elections.
A team of diplomats representing President Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump played a key role in ending the war, and both took responsibility for it on their last day in office.
In remarks in South Carolina, Mr. Biden defended his unwavering support for Israel, despite the advice of some who warned him that it could lead the United States into a bigger war. “Leaving the path I took would not have led us to the ceasefire we see today,” he said.
The report was submitted by Adam Rasgon, Nathan Odenheimer, Ephrat Livni, Jonathan Reiss, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck, Vivian Yee, Fatima Abdul Karim SY Yan Zhuang.
