Gazans and Israelis dare to hope as ceasefire takes hold

Sounds of celebration replaced those of explosions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a fragile ceasefire took effect after 470 days of war, allowing some hostages to return home to Israel, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel to be liberated and for displaced Gazans to search for what remains of their home.

Under the painstaking agreement, fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas militants ceased at 11:15 a.m., raising hopes of a more lasting end to a war that has plunged the Middle East into fear and uncertainty.

The first hostages – three women captured during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 – were released shortly after. Early Monday morning, the Israeli Prison Service announced that it had released 90 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, where they were greeted by enthusiastic family members.

At the same time, intensified aid deliveries – more than 630 trucks in a single day – arrived in Gaza.

Cheerful Palestinians honked car horns and played loud music in the central Gaza town of Deir al Balah, where children ran through the streets. Israelis also celebrated the return of hostages, with anxious families awaiting the release of even more.

But this relief is based on the fact of knowing that this phase of the ceasefire should only last 42 days and release only some of the hostages, and that great diplomatic obstacles await us if this ceasefire is to be extended. Israel and Hamas reached an agreement in part by postponing their most intractable differences until a nebulous “second phase” that neither side is sure of reaching.