Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip — A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect on Sunday, silencing guns in Gaza and renewing hopes for a possible end to the 15-month-old conflict that has killed tens of thousands and plunged the Middle East into all-out regional war.
By late afternoon, the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees began.
Three hostages were handed over to Israeli forces – the first of 33 hostages expected to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for the release of approximately 1,900 Palestinians. The Israeli authorities were assembling the first 90 prisoners in Ofer Prison in the West Bank, but as of early Monday morning they had not yet been released.
The agreement comes after months of arduous negotiations led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, with the Qataris regularly expressing their frustration and threatening to withdraw at some point.
The fragility of the deal was highlighted even before the fighting stopped.
A ceasefire was set for 8:30 a.m. local time, with plans to exchange three hostages for dozens of Palestinian prisoners later in the day.
But in the hours before the deadline, Hamas failed to send a list of hostage names, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say there would be no ceasefire unless the information was received. Hamas blamed “technical issues” for the delay and said it remained committed to the agreement.
When the clock struck 8:30, Gazans began celebrating, with thousands chanting in the streets in impromptu marches and aid groups distributing sweets.
Minutes later, without any word from Hamas, the sounds of explosions began to echo in the sky.
Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari issued a statement in which he said that Hamas “did not fulfill its obligations, and contrary to the agreement, Israel did not give the names of the hostages.”
Relatives and friends of people killed and kidnapped by Hamas react to news of the hostages’ release, during a meeting Sunday in Tel Aviv.
(Oded Paliti/Associated Press)
He said: “Based on the Prime Minister’s directives, the ceasefire will not enter into force as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations.”
“the [Israeli military] “Israel will continue to strike Gaza now, as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations under the agreement.”
About two hours later, Hamas announced that it had handed over the names of the hostages to Qatari mediators. At 11:15 a.m., the ceasefire went into effect. Gaza rescue services said 19 people were killed during the delay.
Despite a shaky start, the ceasefire held throughout Sunday, allowing the first detainee exchange to begin around 4:30 p.m. local time.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis gathered in the so-called Hostage Square, a courtyard where Israelis came in repeated demonstrations, demanding that the government move faster to release the hostages. Live broadcasts showed people cheering when news came of the hostages’ release.
They chanted “Everyone now” to indicate their desire for the return of all hostages.
In Gaza City, thousands of Palestinians gathered in Saraya Square – the designated handover point.
Hamas fighters armed with assault rifles pushed back the crowds as a convoy of vehicles carrying the three Israeli hostages entered the square. Moments later, the hostages were quickly transferred to a Red Cross vehicle, which handed them over to the Israeli army.
Relatives and friends of people killed and kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza watch images of the first hostages awaiting release, Rumi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, appear on screen in Tel Aviv.
(Oded Paliti/Associated Press)
The hostages have been identified as Rumi Gonen, 24, who was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival. Emily Damari (28 years old) and Doron Steinbrecher (31 years old) were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Azza.
Sheba Medical Center reported that the condition of the three women is stable. The Israeli authorities published footage of their tearful reunion with their families. “You’re here!” A relative cried. “I can really touch you!”
The crowd in Saraya Square was anxiously awaiting the first wave of Palestinians released under the deal – 90 women and children. Some of them were heading to Gaza and others would remain in the West Bank.
But more than seven hours after the Israeli hostages were handed over, there was no sign of the Palestinians being released.
Neither the Israeli government nor the Red Cross, whose workers entered Ofer prison to inspect the detainees before handing them over to the Palestinian authorities, provided an explanation for the delay. At one point, Israeli security forces fired tear gas to disperse crowds of Palestinians who had gathered near the prison.
For Tariq Al-Batsh, a 35-year-old taxi driver from the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City who now lives in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah, the relief that a ceasefire had been reached was tempered by the frustration that no agreement had been reached. He was immediately able to see his relatives in the north. The best he could do now was call them to celebrate.
“Today’s joy seems incomplete,” he said.
His wife, Diana Al-Batsh, 30, said the first thing she would do was travel north to hug her parents.
“I regret coming to the South,” she said. “I came here for the safety of the children, but now I feel empty without everyone I love around me.”
They were returning to their home in the north, even though they knew it was partly destroyed. Al-Batsh plans to use cloth to cover the holes in the walls as much as he can. His wife said they would take some basics with them — mattresses, old clothes and a few basic items — and figure out the rest when they got there.
She added: “We fear that this truce will fail at any moment, of course.” “But for now we remain cautiously optimistic.”
Azhar Rashid Al-Mashharawi, a 52-year-old housewife from the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza, has been preparing for this moment for the past two days, sifting through her belongings and gathering everything she needs to start cleaning her house.
Displaced Palestinians leave parts of Khan Yunis as they return to their homes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday.
(Jihad Al-Sharafi/Associated Press)
“I wanted to be ready before anyone else,” she said.
She was looking forward to reuniting with her 35-year-old daughter, Rania, and her six grandchildren.
“I’m planning to buy them some sweets. I just want to give them something nice after everything they’ve been through.”
Nofal Ayyad, a 60-year-old construction worker also from Shujaiya, said he was happy that his family was safe, but he echoed the sentiments of many of his neighbors, saying: “His happiness will not be complete until I can finally return.” Home in the North.”
The ceasefire agreement is very similar to what was proposed in May but never materialized. The first phase, which is based on the exchange of 33 hostages – Israelis and some foreigners – for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, is scheduled to last 42 days.
Of the more than 250 people kidnapped by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7, 2023, 94 remain in Gaza. About a third of these are believed to have died.
As part of the first phase, aid deliveries will rise to 600 trucks per day, a significant increase that will provide much-needed relief at a time when vast swathes of the Strip have been obliterated. Nearly half of the trucks will be allocated to northern Gaza, where the destruction is greatest.
On Sunday morning, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said 4,000 trucks – half of them carrying food and flour – were ready to enter.
Israel has agreed to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor – which runs east to west and divides the Strip – and Gazans can return to their homes in the northern Strip. Netanyahu said that Israeli forces will remain in the Philadelphia corridor between Gaza and Egypt.
After a little more than two weeks of the ceasefire, negotiations are expected to begin on the second phase, which includes the release of the remaining hostages and ultimately a full withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire.
It is unclear how long these negotiations – which are expected to be more thorny than the first phase negotiations – will last, but Netanyahu insisted in a statement issued Sunday morning that Israel will return to the fight if it concludes that “negotiations on the second phase are futile.”
Special correspondent Shabir reported from Deir al-Balah and Times columnist Boulos reported from Beirut.