First three hostages arrive in Israel as fragile ceasefire takes hold

In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in cheers

Deir Al-Balah: The first three hostages released from Gaza have arrived in Israel, the military announced on Sunday, hours after the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold. Their mothers were waiting to meet them.

Israeli media, carrying live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, showed the three women walking to Red Cross vehicles as their convoy moved through Gaza City. The vehicles were accompanied by armed men who wore green Hamas headbands and struggled to guard the cars from an unruly crowd that swelled into the thousands.

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No further glimpses of the three were immediately expected as they will be taken for medical assessment. “They appear to be in good health,” President Joe Biden said in brief remarks as they were arriving in Israel.

In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in cheers. For months, many had gathered in the square to demand a ceasefire deal. The ceasefire ushers in an initial six-week period of calm and raises hopes for the release of dozens of militant-held hostages and an end to the devastating 15-month war. A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the truce’s start by nearly three hours and highlighted its fragility.

Even before the ceasefire took effect, celebrations broke out across the territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes. Next up is the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, families and friends gathered excitedly as cars honked and people waved the Palestinian flag.

The truce, which started at 11:15 am local time, is the first step toward ultimately ending the conflict and returning nearly 100 hostages abducted in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack. Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were released. Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival, while the others were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.

In the interim between 8:30 am and when the ceasefire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not say whether they were civilians or fighters. The military has warned people to stay away from Israeli forces as they retreat to a buffer zone inside Gaza.

In a separate development, Israel announced it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation in Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained there after the 2014 war and had not been returned.