First Three Hostages Freed as Ceasefire Begins

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, raising hopes for the end of the 15-month war and the release of dozens of hostages.

• First three: Hamas released the first of the hostages, per the AP, all of them women: Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival, while the other two were kidnapped from the Kfar Aza kibbutz. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen. Israel will release dozens of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The Israeli military said its forces were escorting the women home.

• A delay: The ceasefire took effect three hours late because Hamas failed to meet a deadline for providing the three names. In the interim between 8:30am and when the ceasefire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
• The deal: The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire should see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Israeli forces should pull back into a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home. The devastated territory should also see a surge in humanitarian aid.
• Jubilation: Celebrations erupted early Sunday across the Gaza Strip as people hoped for respite from the war. Masked militants appeared at some of the celebrations, where the crowds chanted slogans in support of them, according to AP reporters in Gaza.
• President's response: "Today the guns in Gaza have gone silent," President Biden said Sunday. His remarks included a defense of his consistent support of Israel despite political opposition, per the Washington Post. "Abandoning the course I was on would not have led us to the ceasefire we see today," he said.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)