Three Israeli hostages are with Israeli forces in Gaza as ceasefire passes first hurdle

By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG, Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Three Israeli hostages released from Gaza person been handed implicit to Israeli forces determination successful the archetypal trial of a fragile ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas.

The 3 hostages are Romi Gonen, 24, kidnapped from the Nova euphony festival, and Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Later connected Sunday, Israel is expected to merchandise astir 90 Palestinian prisoners.

A gradual merchandise of 33 captives implicit the adjacent six weeks has been agreed on. In exchange, Israel volition merchandise astir 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and Palestinians from Gaza who person been detained.

The truce has sparked anticipation and trepidation. Many Israelis fearfulness that the three-phase woody could illness earlier each hostages return, and they interest who has died successful captivity.

Some 250 radical were kidnapped during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught that triggered 15 months of war. Almost 100 hostages had remained successful Gaza aft the remainder were released oregon their bodies recovered.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The archetypal 3 hostages acceptable to beryllium released from Gaza were transferred to the Red Cross and were connected their mode toward Israeli forces, the Israeli subject announced Sunday, hours aft the ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas took hold.

Israeli media, carrying unrecorded footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, showed the hostages walking betwixt vehicles arsenic their convoy moved done Gaza City, surrounded by a immense crowd, with galore radical holding up phones and filming. The vehicles were accompanied by equipped men who wore greenish Hamas headbands and struggled to defender the cars from an unruly assemblage that swelled into the thousands.

Meanwhile, successful Tel Aviv, thousands of radical gathered to ticker the quality connected ample screens erupted successful cheers. For months, galore had gathered successful the quadrate to request a ceasefire deal.

The woody ushers successful an archetypal six-week play of calm and raises hopes for the merchandise of dozens of Hamas-held hostages and an extremity to the devastating 15-month war. A last-minute hold by Hamas enactment disconnected the truce’s commencement by astir 3 hours and highlighted its fragility.

Even earlier the ceasefire took effect, celebrations erupted crossed the territory and immoderate Palestinians began returning to their homes. Israel earlier announced the names of the archetypal 3 hostages to beryllium freed successful speech for the planned merchandise of 90 Palestinian prisoners.

The truce, which started astatine 11:15 a.m. section time, is the archetypal step toward yet ending the struggle and returning astir 100 hostages abducted successful Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

An Israeli authoritative confirmed that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were acceptable to beryllium released aboriginal Sunday. Gonen was abducted from the Nova euphony festival, portion the others were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.

The official, who spoke connected information of anonymity successful enactment with regulations, said the families had approved the work of the names.

Demonstrators clasp portraits of hostages held by Hamas successful the Gaza Strip during a protestation calling for their contiguous merchandise successful Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In the interim betwixt 8:30 a.m. and erstwhile the ceasefire took hold, Israeli occurrence killed astatine slightest 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not accidental whether they were civilians oregon fighters. The subject has warned radical to enactment distant from Israeli forces arsenic they retreat to a buffer portion wrong Gaza.

Israel’s hard-line nationalist information minister, meanwhile, said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the authorities successful protestation implicit the ceasefire agreement. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure weakens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conjugation but volition not impact the truce.

In a abstracted development, Israel announced it had recovered the assemblage of Oron Shaul, a worker killed successful the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, successful a peculiar cognition successful Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and different soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained determination aft the 2014 warfare and had not been returned.

Fragile agreement

The ceasefire woody was announced past week aft a twelvemonth of mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The outgoing Biden medication and President-elect Donald Trump’s squad had some pressed for an agreement to beryllium reached earlier the inauguration connected Monday.

Netanyahu connected Saturday warned that helium had Trump’s backing to proceed warring if necessary.

The 42-day first signifier of the ceasefire should spot 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Many displaced Palestinians should beryllium capable to instrumentality home.

There is besides expected to beryllium a surge of humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza daily, far much than Israel allowed before. The United Nations’ World Food Program said trucks started entering done 2 crossings aft the ceasefire took hold.

Displaced Palestinians permission parts of Khan Younis arsenic they spell backmost to their homes successful Rafah, confederate Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

This is conscionable the 2nd ceasefire successful the war, longer and much consequential than a weeklong intermission successful November 2023, with the imaginable to extremity the warring for good.

Negotiations connected the acold much hard 2nd signifier of this ceasefire should statesman successful conscionable implicit 2 weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the warfare volition resume aft the archetypal signifier and however the remainder of the hostages successful Gaza volition beryllium freed.

Palestinians observe contempt delay

Across the Gaza Strip, celebrations erupted arsenic radical hoped for respite aft the warring killed tens of thousands, destroyed ample areas of the territory and displaced astir of its population.

Masked combatants appeared astatine immoderate celebrations, wherever crowds chanted slogans successful enactment of them, according to Associated Press reporters successful Gaza. The Hamas-run constabulary began deploying successful nationalist aft mostly lying debased owed to Israeli airstrikes.

Members of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the equipped helping of the Palestinian radical Hamas, instrumentality portion successful a parade arsenic they observe a ceasefire statement betwixt Hamas and Israel successful Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Some families acceptable disconnected for location connected foot, their belongings loaded connected donkey carts.

In the confederate metropolis of Rafah, residents returned to find monolithic destruction. Some recovered quality remains including skulls successful the rubble.

“It’s similar you spot a Hollywood fearfulness movie,” nonmigratory Mohamed Abu Taha told the AP arsenic helium inspected the ruins of his family’s home.

Israelis divided implicit ceasefire deal

In Israel, radical remained divided implicit the agreement.

Asher Pizem, 35, from the metropolis of Sderot adjacent Gaza, said helium eagerly awaited the hostages’ instrumentality but said the woody had simply postponed the adjacent confrontation with Hamas. He besides criticized Israel for allowing assistance into Gaza, saying it would lend to the group’s revival.

“They volition instrumentality the clip and onslaught again,” helium said portion overlooking Gaza’s smoldering ruins from a tiny elevation successful confederate Israel with different Israelis who gathered there.

Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire aboriginal Saturday successful a uncommon league during the Jewish Sabbath, much than 2 days aft mediators announced the deal.

Immense toll

The toll of the warfare has been immense, and caller details connected its scope volition present emerge. The caput of the Rafah municipality successful Gaza, Ahmed al-Sufi, said Israel’s subject had destroyed a ample portion of the infrastructure, including water, energy and roadworthy networks, successful summation to thousands of homes.

Over 46,000 Palestinians person been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children marque up much than fractional the fatalities but does not separate betwixt civilians and fighters.

The Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel that sparked the warfare killed implicit 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and combatants abducted astir 250 others. More than 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire successful November 2023.

Some 90% of Gaza’s colonisation has been displaced. The United Nations says homes, the wellness system, roadworthy networks and different captious infrastructure person been severely damaged. Rebuilding — if the ceasefire reaches its last signifier — will instrumentality respective years astatine least. Major questions astir Gaza’s future, governmental and otherwise, stay unresolved.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Josef Federman successful Jerusalem and Mohammad Jahjouh successful Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.

Originally Published: January 19, 2025 astatine 10:43 AM EST