Gazans and Israelis dare to hope as ceasefire holds

Sounds of celebration replaced the sounds of explosions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a fragile ceasefire took effect after 470 days of war, allowing some hostages to return to their homes in Israel, the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and the displacement of Gazans to Israel. And search for what remains of their homes.

Under the terms of the hard-won agreement, fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas militants stopped at 11:15 a.m., raising hopes for a more sustainable end to a war that has plunged the Middle East into fear and uncertainty.

The first hostages — three women kidnapped when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 — were released soon after, and as the danger diminished, increasing aid shipments began making their way in the opposite direction, through border checkpoints. Early Monday morning, the Israelis announced that they had released 90 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Jubilant Palestinians honked car horns and played music in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah as children ran through the streets. Israelis also celebrated when hostages began to return, with anxious families anticipating that more of them would be released.

But the reason for the relief was knowing that this phase of the ceasefire would last only 42 days and only some hostages would be freed, and that there were major diplomatic hurdles ahead if it was extended. Israel and Hamas reached the agreement in part by postponing their more complex disputes until a vague “second phase” that neither side can be sure will arrive.

Once the bombs stopped falling, masked gunmen and Hamas police officers came out of hiding and showed themselves on the streets of Gaza. The show of force was clear and unambiguous, demonstrating that even after an overwhelming Israeli military campaign aimed at destroying Hamas, the armed group remains the dominant Palestinian force in Gaza.

On Saturday night, as a ceasefire approached, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded enemies and allies alike that the first phase of the agreement is temporary and that Israel could still return to the fight if talks take place in the next phase of the agreement. The ceasefire collapsed.

“We reserve the right to return to war, if necessary, with the support of the United States,” said Mr. Netanyahu, whose coalition was sharply divided by the ceasefire agreement. He said in a televised speech.

However, whatever the concerns over the coming weeks and months, there were moments of joy on Sunday.

One of the freed hostages, Emily Damari, was seen smiling and leaning out of an open truck window as she was transported to Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv. Damari was last seen free 15 months ago, when she was kidnapped from her home on a kibbutz in southern Israel. She was shot in the hand and taken away in her own car, driven by one of the gunmen.

A photo of Ms. Al-Damari, published by the Israeli army on Sunday, showed her still smiling, although she was missing two middle fingers on her left hand. Later, the three hostages reunited with their relatives, who cried and held them tightly after more than a year of separation, according to footage published by the Israeli government. Their parents, brothers and friends fought an international campaign for their freedom.

Under the terms of the deal, Hamas will gradually release 33 hostages, and in return Israel will release more than 1,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, including some serving life sentences for brutal attacks against Israelis. Ninety of them, all women and minors, were scheduled to be released on Sunday.

Friends of the three hostages who were released on Sunday danced, sang and waved Israeli flags in the air as they gathered at the hospital’s helipad. Gal Kobani, 28, a friend of Ms Damari, said she was “overjoyed” at the news of her release and “proud of Emily for escaping this madness”.

In Gaza, sadness clouded the celebration. 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. Vast areas of the enclave have been reduced to rubble, and many of the displaced have no homes to return to.

Shortly after the fighting stopped, waves of displaced Palestinians began heading north, eager to know if any parts of their homes were still standing.

Many people said they were determined to start restoring the life they once knew, despite the massive scale of devastation in the area. Ahed Al-Aka, 52, a construction worker from Gaza City, said: “The joy of returning home is overwhelming, but it is mixed with sadness.”

For others, like Suhaila Dawwas, a displaced person from Gaza who said she lost eight relatives in the war, grief overshadowed any hope for the future. Most of her home was destroyed, though she hoped to find some reminders of the life her family once lived in the rubble.

“I can’t say I’m happy about this truce,” said Ms. Dawas, a 55-year-old mother of eight. “What are we left with after all? After the endless losses, destruction, and pain?

Videos taken by drones over Gaza showed people scattering across the barren land. Gaza’s densely populated neighborhoods have turned into cracked concrete slabs, and roads have turned to dust. With countless bodies still trapped under the rubble, members of Gaza’s civil emergency service sprang into action.

The war began after Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people, Israel says, and taking 250 hostage. About 100 hostages remain in Gaza, although about a third of them are believed to be dead.

Israel and Hamas have kept some of their bargaining chips. At the end of the first phase of the truce, Hamas will still hold approximately two-thirds of the hostages. Israel will still occupy parts of Gaza, holding senior prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, the famous Palestinian militant leader and political figure.

On Sunday, UN trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies began entering Gaza just 15 minutes after the ceasefire went into effect, according to Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN humanitarian office in the Palestinian territories. There have been months of chaos and restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid Reducing aid to a small extent.

Two convoys carrying ready-to-eat food parcels and wheat flour arrived in the enclave on Sunday, one of them across the border. Kerem Shalom A crossing in southeastern Gaza, and another at a crossing in the north, according to Martin Benner, spokesman for the United Nations World Food Programme. The ceasefire agreement stipulates that 600 trucks will be allowed to bring aid into Gaza residents daily, although it was not clear how the supplies would be distributed.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the mood was tense as families and friends awaited the release of the first batch of 90 Palestinian prisoners from Israel’s Ofer prison. Some in the crowd wondered whether the launches would actually happen.

Zuhair Youssef, a taxi driver, said: “People are very exhausted, and their feelings are mixed with sadness for Gaza.” “So we wait until the last minute.”

The ceasefire has opened deep fissures within the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right National Security Minister, resigned from the government in protest, and his Jewish Power party withdrew from the coalition on Sunday. The Religious Zionist Party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, suggested it could do the same unless Mr. Netanyahu continued the war after the initial truce. If he did so, Mr. Netanyahu’s government would hold less than half of the Knesset seats. The Israeli parliament, which could eventually force the government to fall and force new elections.

Teams of diplomats representing both President Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump played a key role in brokering the ceasefire, and both men were credited on Biden’s penultimate day in office.

In his remarks in South Carolina, Biden defended his steadfast support for Israel, despite the advice of some who warned him that this could drag the United States into a broader war. He said: “Abandoning the path I was following would not have led us to the ceasefire we are witnessing today.”

He contributed to the preparation of the reports Adam Rasgon, Nathan Odenheimer, Efrat Livni, Jonathan Rees, Gabe Sobelman, Mira Novick, Vivian Yee, Fatima Abdel Karim and Yan Chuang.