Gaza
Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees early Monday, concluding the first, critical steps in a long-awaited ceasefire that included the return of three Israeli hostages and a halt to airstrikes on Gaza.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians in parts of the besieged enclave began to return to their bombed-out neighborhoods and homes, some searching for the bodies of relatives.
The first day of the truce also brought a surge of desperately needed humanitarian aid, with more than 630 trucks entering Gaza, according to U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.
The three female hostages — captured during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — were reunited with their families and determined to be in “a good state.”
Thirty other hostages, most of whom are presumed to be alive, are slated to be gradually freed in releases every seven days as part of the first phase of the deal lasting 42 days.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, large crowds gathered in Beitunia to welcome freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees, all of them women or teenagers.
Prominent political activist Khalida Jarrar was among those freed, photos from news agencies showed.
