Israel frees 90 Palestinians, Hamas releases 3 hostages under ceasefire deal

Families reunited with tears and laughter as hostages were welcomed home under the landmark ceasefire agreement

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Hamas released three Israeli hostages while Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, marking the beginning of a ceasefire that paused a 15-month-long conflict which had caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and escalated tensions across the Middle East.

The truce allowed Palestinians to return to devastated areas to start rebuilding their lives, with relief supplies arriving to provide essential aid.

Meanwhile, jubilant crowds in Gaza celebrated as Hamas fighters emerged from hiding. Fireworks lit the skies in Ramallah, West Bank, where buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners were met by thousands of supporters.

According to Hamas, those freed included 69 women and 21 teenage boys from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis gathered, some in tears, outside the Defence Ministry headquarters, watching a live broadcast showing the release of three female hostages by Hamas fighters.

The women, identified as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, were seen boarding a Red Cross vehicle in apparent good health. Damari, who had been injured during her abduction, reunited with her mother, smiling and raising her bandaged hand.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his gratitude, instructing a commander by phone to convey the nation’s warm embrace to the released hostages.

Later, at Sheba Medical Centre, the women reunited with their families, draped in Israeli flags amidst emotional embraces. They were among over 250 individuals kidnapped during a Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which left 1,200 dead, according to Israeli reports.

Gaza health officials estimate over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes, leaving nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents homeless. Around 400 Israeli soldiers have also died in the conflict.

The ceasefire terms involve halting hostilities, the delivery of aid to Gaza, and the release of 33 additional hostages over a six-week initial phase in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Many hostages are feared to have died.

In northern Gaza, residents sifted through the ruins of bombed-out neighbourhoods following the war’s most intense battles. Aya, displaced from her home in Gaza City for over a year, described the truce as akin to finding water after a long desert ordeal.

The ceasefire came into effect after a three-hour delay, during which Israeli airstrikes killed 13 people, according to Gaza health officials. Israel attributed the strikes to Hamas’ delay in providing a list of hostages to be released, while Hamas described the delay as technical.

On his last full day in office, US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire, praising Israel’s pressure on Hamas, backed by the United States.

Hamas used the truce to reassert its presence, with armed fighters and policemen appearing in public across southern Gaza, greeted by cheering crowds. A fighter proclaimed the resilience of Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Despite the truce, uncertainty looms over Gaza’s governance and reconstruction. Israeli hardline ministers expressed dissent, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir resigning over the ceasefire, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to leave the government if Hamas is not completely dismantled.

Incoming US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser-designate, Mike Waltz, warned against Hamas reneging on the agreement, emphasising US support for Israeli actions to ensure Hamas does not regain control of Gaza.

In Gaza City, amidst scenes of destruction, residents navigated streets laden with debris, waving Palestinian flags and documenting the aftermath. For many, like Ahmed Abu Ayham, the ceasefire offered little solace in the face of immense loss. "It’s a time for mourning, not celebration," he said.