The first three hostages were released from Gaza, and the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli custody as a fragile ceasefire took effect after 15 months of war. This marked the beginning of a challenging period over the next six weeks, with mixed emotions surrounding the events. Palestinians across Gaza began returning home, and the first trucks carrying much-needed humanitarian aid started entering the devastated region.

The truce, which started Sunday morning, gives hope that the terrible struggle will stop and that the almost 100 captives who were still taken after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught will be returned. Significant doubts, however, still surround whether combat will continue after the initial six-week phase. Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were first released after a dramatic handover to the Red Cross on a street in Gaza City. Video captured them encircled by thousands of people, escorted by armed, masked men with green Hamas headbands. The women were brought to Israeli troops and then into Israel, where they sobbed and gave ferocious hugs to family members. Damari was seen triumphantly lifting her bandaged hand. She lost two fingers in the Oct. 7 attack, according to the military.

Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to see the news on big screens and cheered. People have been gathering in the square every week for months to call for a ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "An entire nation embraces you." More than seven hours later, the first Palestinian prisoners were set free. They had been held by Israel for crimes related to its security, ranging from throwing stones to more serious charges like attempted murder. The Israeli military, which controls the West Bank, cautioned Palestinians from celebrating in public. The release happened around one in the morning, but when the buses left the jail, crowds gathered, with some people climbing on top of them or waving flags, including Hamas ones. There were whistles, pyrotechnics, and a lot of God-exclamations. Those freed were thrown onto shoulders or held in arms. The most notable person released was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a member of a secular leftist group that took part in attacks against Israel in the 1970s but later reduced its militant activities. She had been held under administrative detention since her arrest in late 2023, with her detention orders being indefinitely renewed, which were criticised by human rights organisations.

The next release of hostages and prisoners is scheduled for Saturday, with 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees set to be freed during the first 42 days of the ceasefire. Talks for the more difficult second phase will begin in just over two weeks. This is only the second ceasefire in the war, lasting longer and more important than the one-week pause in November 2023. It could potentially bring an end to the fighting for good. However, Netanyahu, who had been pressured by both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before Monday's U.S. inauguration, has stated that he has Trump's support to continue fighting if needed.

At the same time, Israel's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced that his Jewish Power faction was leaving the government in protest of the ceasefire. This shows the political tensions that some Israelis believe delayed the agreement. Although Ben-Gvir's departure weakens Netanyahu's coalition, it will not affect the ceasefire.

Across Gaza, there was both relief and sorrow. The fighting had killed tens of thousands, destroyed large parts of the area, and forced most people to flee their homes. The ceasefire brings joy but also pain because my son was killed in this war, said Rami Nofal, a man who had to leave Gaza City. According to reporters from the Associated Press in Gaza, some celebrations saw masked militants and crowds chanting supportive slogans. The Hamas-run police, who had kept a low profile due to Israeli airstrikes, began to appear in public.

Some families walked back home, carrying their belongings on donkey carts. In the southern city of Rafah, residents came back to find their homes destroyed. Some discovered human remains in the rubble, including skulls. It felt like something out of a Hollywood horror movie, said Mohamed Abu Taha, a resident, as he looked at the ruins of his family's home. Meanwhile, Israeli forces were withdrawing from some areas. Residents of Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya in northern Gaza told the AP that they hadn’t seen any Israeli troops there.

One resident mentioned seeing bodies in the streets, which seemed to have been there for weeks. People in Israel are still divided over the agreement. Asher Pizem, 35, from the city of Sderot, believes the deal only delays the next conflict with Hamas. He also criticised Israel for allowing aid into Gaza, arguing that it would help the militant group regain strength. As he and other Israelis gathered on a tiny hill in southern Israel to watch the burning remains of Gaza, he declared, "They will take the time and attack again."

President Joe Biden denied having any worries about Hamas reorganising when he was questioned about it on Sunday. The impact of the war has been devastating, and more details are now coming to light. Ahmed al-Sufi, the head of the Rafah municipality in Gaza, reported that much of the infrastructure, including water, electricity and road networks, has been destroyed, along with thousands of homes.

There is now a need for a large increase in humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza every day, much more than what Israel had previously allowed. The UN humanitarian agency mentioned that on Sunday, over 630 trucks with aid entered Gaza, with at least 300 of them going to the heavily affected northern part of Gaza. Tom Fletcher, the humanitarian chief, called this a moment of great hope.

Over 46,000 Palestinians lost their lives, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, with women and children making up more than half of the deaths. However, the ministry does not separate civilians from fighters in these figures. The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in over 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and militants took around 250 people hostage. During a week-long ceasefire in November 2023, more than 100 hostages were released. Around 90% of Gaza's population has been forced to leave their homes. Rebuilding Gaza, if the ceasefire continues, will take at least several years. Many important issues about Gaza's future, both political and otherwise, are still unresolved.