Gaza City, Gaza Strip – After a four-day pause in fighting, thousands of Palestinians began returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Friday as the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas commenced. The truce, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, also includes the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The ceasefire began at 7 a.m. local time, and within hours, displaced Palestinians were seen walking north along Salah al-Din Street, the main north-south road in Gaza, according to reports from the area. The United Nations estimates that approximately 1.7 million people – roughly 75% of Gaza’s population – have been displaced since the start of the conflict on October 7.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas is to release 50 hostages – women and children - over the four days. in return, Israel will release 150 Palestinians from it’s prisons, also focusing on women and children.Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and lead negotiator, confirmed Thursday evening that all women and children held in Israeli jails would be freed.
The exchange is expected to begin Monday,though some officials suggest it could occur as early as Sunday night. Egyptian officials briefed on the talks and a Hamas official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The deal also addresses the fate of hostages believed to have died in captivity. A relative of one such hostage expressed hope for the return of remains for burial. “It’s a measured sense of hope in all hostage families,” said Stephen Brisley,whose sister,Lianne Sharabi,and her two teenage daughters were killed in the Oct. 7 attack. Her husband, Eli Sharabi, was released, but her brother, Yossi, is believed to have died in an airstrike in January 2024, and the family hopes to give him a dignified burial. “We hold our hope lightly because we’ve had our hopes dashed before,” brisley told The Associated Press.
The conflict began when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 240 hostages. Israel responded wiht extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza, resulting in a significant number of Palestinian casualties. Health officials in Gaza report over 13,300 Palestinians have been killed as the start of the war.
The ceasefire does not address long-term political solutions for the region.A previously proposed “Trump plan” called for an open-ended Israeli military presence in Gaza and an internationally-led reconstruction effort, but it was firmly rejected by Palestinian leadership and offered only vague prospects for a future Palestinian state.
