Jerusalem: On Sunday, the first day of a ceasefire ending a 15-month-long conflict, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages while Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, signaling a rare moment of hope amid the devastation of the Gaza Strip and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The truce offered a temporary respite, allowing Palestinians to return to their bombed-out neighborhoods and begin the long process of rebuilding. Relief trucks arrived with much-needed aid, while crowds in Gaza cheered as Hamas fighters emerged from hiding.
In Ramallah, fireworks lit up the sky as buses carrying the freed Palestinian prisoners arrived. Among them were 69 women and 21 teenage boys from the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to Hamas. Thousands gathered to welcome them home.
In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis were seen cheering and crying as live footage from Gaza showed three female hostages being escorted into a Red Cross vehicle by Hamas fighters. The hostages, Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, were reunited with their families, with video showing them in apparent good health. Damari, who had lost two fingers in a shooting incident on the day of her abduction, embraced her mother with a bandaged hand.
“I would like you to tell them: Romi, Doron and Emily – an entire nation embraces you. Welcome home,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a commander by phone. At Sheba Medical Center, the women were reunited with their families in emotional scenes that shifted from tears to laughter.
The release of the hostages and prisoners comes amid a war that has taken a heavy toll on both sides. Over 47,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli airstrikes, while nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza has been left homeless. On the Israeli side, around 400 soldiers have lost their lives since the conflict began.
The ceasefire agreement includes provisions for the release of 33 of the remaining Israeli and foreign hostages over the course of the six-week first phase. In return, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are set to be freed. Many of the hostages are feared dead, however.
As the truce came into effect, Palestinians navigated the rubble of Gaza’s most heavily bombed areas. Aya, a displaced Gaza City resident, described the feeling of relief after being uprooted for more than a year. “I feel like at last I found some water to drink after being lost in the desert for 15 months,” she said.
The truce, however, was marred by a final barrage of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire that killed 13 people just before it took hold. Israel claimed the delay in Hamas providing the names of hostages was a technical issue, while Hamas argued the holdup was on Israel’s part.
“Today the guns in Gaza have gone silent,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement, welcoming the ceasefire, which had eluded diplomatic efforts for over a year. “We’ve reached this point today because of the pressure Israel built on Hamas, backed by the United States.”
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In Gaza, Hamas fighters and policemen, who had spent months in hiding, took to the streets to celebrate. Armed fighters paraded through Khan Younis, waving their banner and chanting slogans as crowds cheered. “Greetings to Al-Qassam Brigades,” they shouted in homage to Hamas’s military wing.
Amid this cautious optimism, there remains uncertainty about Gaza’s future. The ceasefire’s terms include the complete dismantling of Hamas, something Israel has made clear it will pursue. The question of whether Hamas will regain control after the war is unresolved, with key Israeli officials expressing their discontent at the agreement.
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As the world watched, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser-designate, Mike Waltz, made clear Washington’s stance. “Hamas will never govern Gaza. That is completely unacceptable,” he stated.
In Gaza City, amid the reconstruction efforts, many residents expressed deep sorrow over the destruction that has already occurred. “We are in pain, deep pain and it is time to hug one another and cry,” said Ahmed Abu Ayham, a local resident, reflecting the somber mood in the shattered streets.
