Israel and Hamas began a long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza, releasing three female Israeli hostages in exchange for 90 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, the first step to end a brutal 15-month war. To date, the war has claimed the lives of nearly 47,000 Palestinians. Coastal zone.

As fighting ceased, hundreds of aid trucks lined up to enter Gaza, delivering supplies to Gaza's 2.3 million residents, 90 percent of whom have been displaced multiple times by the conflict.

A cessation of fighting and a prisoner swap for hostages, the first key hurdle in a complex ceasefire, was delayed by hours due to a dispute between Israel and Hamas, underscoring ongoing concerns about the deal's fragility.

During the delay, at least 13 Palestinians were reportedly killed in a blitz of ongoing Israeli attacks.

The ceasefire comes into effect the day before incoming US President Donald Trump is inaugurated. Trump demanded an end to the fighting in Gaza as Hamas released the women to the Red Cross in a crowded square in central Gaza - including United Kingdom-based Israeli citizen Emily Damari.

Damari was released along with 24-year-old Romi Gonen and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, who were both released on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a war against Gaza Communities in southern Israel on the border were violently abducted during a surprise attack.

In post-release photos shared by her family, Damali, who lost two fingers after being shot during the kidnapping, smiled, hugged her mother and spoke to her family on the phone.

Red Cross officials are working on the release of Palestinian prisoners at Israel's Ofer prison following the release of Israeli hostages.

In Gaza, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets as the ceasefire began, with others setting off on foot to visit their displaced homes even before the ceasefire officially came into effect.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the truce on his final day in office, saying: "Today, after so much pain, death and loss of life, the gunfire in Gaza has silenced," adding that the The task falls to the new Trump administration to implement the rest of the deal.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the launch as "brilliant and long overdue".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described an "incredibly touching day", adding: "I know, we all know, they've been through hell and they're moving from darkness to light and they've truly emerged from it. Slavery, freedom.”

Hundreds of aid trucks began arriving at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday, ahead of a prisoner swap for hostages on Sunday, in a massive ramp-up of aid deliveries to Gaza.

United Nations Interim Secretary-General Jonathan Whittall said The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the first trucks began entering Gaza within minutes of the start of the ceasefire.

"Humanitarian partners have made tremendous efforts over the past few days to prepare for the delivery of large amounts of aid throughout Gaza," Whittall posted on X.

The cessation in violence that has killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians came nearly three hours later than planned after Israel said Hamas had failed to name hostages it would release on Sunday due to widespread mistrust between the two sides.

Hamas has highlighted these concerns, calling on international mediators to ensure Israel complies with the agreement and saying any violations could jeopardize the process.

Israel continued its assault on Gaza until a ceasefire finally came into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT), with Hamas posting the names of the three hostages on its social media channels. The challenges of this complex, staged agreement are clear.

Hamas blamed the delay in starting the ceasefire on "technical reasons" for handing over the names of the three women.

"I feel like after 15 months of being lost in the desert, I finally found water. I feel like I'm alive again," said Aya, a displaced woman from Gaza City who has taken refuge in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. More than a year.

The hostage-for-prisoner release comes as Netanyahu faces growing political resistance to the deal. The far-right party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir quit the coalition in protest, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to overthrow the government.

Ben-Gweil said cabinet ministers from his party submitted their resignations to the government on Sunday in opposition to the ceasefire.

Although the departure of the Jewish Power party weakens Netanyahu's coalition, it will not affect the ceasefire, and the terms of the ceasefire will remain in effect even if Netanyahu's government collapses.

The 42-day first phase should mean the return of a total of 33 hostages from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The deal also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw to the buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home.

However, a further complication may be negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire, which are due to begin in just over two weeks. Big questions remain, including whether the fighting will resume after the six-week first phase and how the remaining nearly 100 hostages in Gaza will be released.

Despite delays, the day has begun for Israeli troops to begin withdrawing from Gaza City's Rafah area to the Philadelphia Corridor along the border with Egypt and Gaza.

The three-phase ceasefire agreement follows months of on-again, off-again negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and was reached ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as president on Monday.

Biden's team worked closely with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to push for the deal.

As the inauguration approaches, Trump has again called for a deal as soon as possible and has repeatedly warned that there will be a "heavy price to pay" if the hostages are not released.

But what happens next in Gaza remains unclear, lacking a comprehensive deal on the territory's postwar future, which will require billions of dollars and years of work to rebuild.

The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when militants attacked Israeli towns and villages, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.