A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas began Sunday after a brief delay, initiating a six-week truce with hopes for the release of hostages and an end to 15 months of genocidal war in Gaza.
But even before the truce officially took effect, celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes.
Israel, meanwhile, announced the names of the first hostages expected to return home later Sunday, in exchange for the planned release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
The truce, which started at 11:15 a.m. local time (9:15 a.m. GMT), is just the first step toward ultimately ending the conflict, rebuilding Gaza and returning the hostages abducted during the Hamas incursion on Oct. 7, 2023.
An Israeli official confirmed that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were set to be released later Sunday.
Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival, while the other two were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the families had approved the publication of the names.
Israel accused Hamas of being late to provide the three names before the start of the cease-fire, originally planned for 8:30 a.m., and killed dozens of Palestinians in morning airstrikes.
Hamas eventually released the names about two hours later, citing technical reasons and saying it was still committed to the agreement.
In the interim between 8:30 a.m. and when the cease-fire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The cease-fire deal was announced last week after a year of intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team had both pressed for an agreement to be reached before his inauguration on Monday.
"Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The 42-day first phase of the cease-fire should see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Israeli forces should pull back into a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home.
There is also supposed to be a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with hundreds of trucks entering daily, far more than Israel allowed before. The United Nations' World Food Program said trucks had started entering Gaza through two crossings after the cease-fire took hold.
This is just the second cease-fire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.
Negotiations on the far more difficult second phase of this cease-fire should begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first phase and how the rest of the hostages in Gaza will be freed.
Across the Gaza Strip, celebrations erupted early Sunday as people hoped for respite after 15 months of Israel's genocidal war killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians, destroyed large areas of the territory and displaced most of its population.
The Hamas-run police began deploying in public after mostly lying low due to Israeli airstrikes. Gaza City residents said they had seen them operating in parts of the city, and an AP reporter in Khan Younis saw a small number out on the streets.
Reactions in Israel were more varied, as people hoped for the safe return of the hostages 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 Israeli city of Sderot near Gaza, said he eagerly awaited the return of the captives. But he said the deal had merely postponed the next confrontation with Hamas and criticized Israel for allowing aid into Gaza, saying it would contribute to the revival of the Palestinian resistance group.
"They will take the time and attack again," he said while overlooking smoldering ruins in Gaza from a hillock in southern Israel with other Israelis who had gathered there.
Israel's Cabinet approved the cease-fire early Saturday in a rare session during the Jewish Sabbath, more than two days after mediators announced the deal.
The toll of the war has been immense and new details on its scope will now emerge.
