A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect on Sunday following an almost three-hour delay after Hamas was late to name the three hostage it plans to release.
The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire began at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT). Israel said earlier it would keep fighting until the names were handed over in accordance with the agreement.
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
The ceasefire is set to pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel's Cabinet approved the deal early on Saturday.
Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt in months of indirect talks between the warring sides, the ceasefire is the second truce achieved in the devastating conflict.
The Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.
Here's the latest:
Families of Israeli hostages worry about the next step
PARIS — At a gathering in Paris, relatives of Israeli hostages say the coming days and weeks remain fraught with worries for them despite Hamas promises to release some of the captives under the long-awaited ceasefire with Israel.
Moshe Emilio Lavi, the brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, said at the gathering Saturday night that he’s concerned about the health effects for those held for more than 450 days.
“You can imagine that hostages who were subject to torture, abuse, sexual violence, deprived of food, water, sanitation, sunlight for so long -- everyone is a humanitarian case, which is why we as families reject the notion this is a humanitarian deal,” he said.
“The first phase is not. If it was, every hostage, including my brother-in-law, Omri, would return home tomorrow. So we are not optimistic.”
Olivier Jaoui, a relative of French-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon, said families have “many concerns because we don’t know who is alive, who is dead among the hostages and in particular, for us, Ofer Kalderon, our cousin.”
He added that “another concern, obviously, is in what state they will return.”
Residents in bombed-out Rafah in southern Gaza return to find destruction
CAIRO — Residents n Gaza’s southern city of Rafah returned to find massive destruction following a ceasefire that took hold Sunday. Some found human remains in the rubble.
“It’s an indescribable scene. It’s like you see a Hollywood horror movie,” Mohamed Abu Taha told The Associated Press as he and his brother inspected the family home in Rafah's Salam neighborhood. He described “flattened houses, human remains, skulls and other body parts, in the street and in the rubble.”
He shared footage of piles of rubble he said had been the family’s house.
Trump welcomes the impending release of 3 hostages from Gaza
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has welcomed the impending release of three hostages held by militants in Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel that started Sunday.
“Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first,” Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth Social.
Pope expresses gratitude for Gaza ceasefire
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expressed his gratitude for the Gaza ceasefire and praised the role of mediators.
Francis thanked all those involved who worked to make the deal possible, praying that all the hostages will be able to return home and embrace again their loved ones.
The pontiff noted that he continues to pray that whatever has been agreed upon “will be respected.”
Francis also prayed that greatly-needed humanitarian aid will be able to arrive in Gaza as soon as possible, and that the international community will continue to help both sides as to best foster “dialogue, hope and peace.”
UN agency says food trucks entering Gaza
CAIRO — The U.N. World Food Program said trucks have started entering Gaza through two crossings after the ceasefire took hold Sunday.
In a post on X, WFP said the first trucks carried life-saving wheat flour and ready-to-eat food parcels. It said it aims to deliver food daily along humanitarian corridors that include Egypt, Jordan and Israel crossing points.
“This ceasefire is critical for the humanitarian response. Safety, and access must be ensured,” the agency said.
Palestinians in Gaza celebrate the ceasefire
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Celebrations erupted early Sunday across the Gaza Strip as people hoped for respite after 15 months of war that killed tens of thousands and destroyed large areas of the territory. Masked militants appeared at some of the celebrations, where the crowds chanted slogans in support of them, according to Associated Press reporters in Gaza.
Gaza’s Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government, held a parade in Gaza City, where the rescuers waved a Palestinian flag alongside other revelers, according to AP footage. It also showed a small group of people carrying the flags of Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant group after Hamas, which took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war.
The Hamas-run police began deploying in public after mostly lying low due to Israeli airstrikes. Gaza City residents said they had seen them operating in parts of the city, and the AP reporter in Khan Younis saw a small number out on the streets.
Palestinian residents began returning to their homes in parts of Gaza City early Sunday, even as tank shelling continued to the east, closer to the Israeli border, overnight. Families could be seen making their way back on foot, with their belongings loaded on donkey carts, residents said.
“The sound of shelling and explosions didn’t stop,” said Ahmed Matter, a Gaza City resident. He said he saw many families leaving their shelters and returning to their homes. “People are impatient. They want this madness to end,” he said.