A long-awaited cease-fire in the Gaza Strip came into effect on January 19, followed by the release of three Israeli hostages after an hourslong delay, underscoring the fragility of the deal between Israel and U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas.
Hours after the release of the three Israeli women from Hamas captivity, Israeli authorities early on January 20 said 90 Palestinian prisoners -- all women or minors -- had been set free in the first of several planned exchanges.
The truce and the hostage release, agreed on January 15 after months of negotiations, is the first step in a multistage process aimed at ending the 15-month conflict in Gaza.
The conflict broke out when Iran-backed Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza. Israel retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed over 46,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
SEE ALSO: Israel, Hamas Agree Cease-Fire Deal, Although Much 'Uncertainty' RemainsThe deal will see the exchange of dozens of Israeli hostages for some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has grappled with a major humanitarian crisis.
The start of the truce on January 19 was delayed by nearly three hours, with Israel saying it had not received the names of the first three hostages to be released. Hamas blamed the holdup on “technical field reasons.”
During the delay, Israel continued its attacks in Gaza. The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency service, said that at least 19 people were killed in several attacks across the territory.
People in Tel Aviv watch broadcasts of the expected release of three female hostages on January 19.
Following confirmation of cease-fire, U.S. President Joe Biden -- speaking a day before he leaves office -- welcomed the agreement that his administration has long sought.
“The road to this deal has been not easy at all, and a long road,” he said in brief remarks at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Biden added that the long-term success of the cease-fire will also depend on the next administration, as Donald Trump takes the presidency at noon on January 20.
Trump wrote on social media: “Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first."
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, said: "Seeing the hostages' reunion with their families fills our hearts with hope. Let it be the start of a new chapter for Israel and the Palestinian people."
Meanwhile, Israel's far-right Jewish Power party has announced that it is leaving the government in protest against the cease-fire deal. The move leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a thin parliamentary majority.
There were celebrations across Gaza and some Palestinians began returning to their homes as the cease-fire took hold.
Zaher al-Kashif, a Palestinian writer and analyst, said there was a “sense of relief and happiness” in the territory. But he said many in Gaza, most of which is in ruins, are facing an uncertain future.
“We are waiting for real help and a real perspective for our future, which is unclear in the shadow of widespread destruction and the spread of poverty and hunger,” said Kashif, who lives in Gaza City.
SEE ALSO: How The Israel-Hamas War Reshaped The Middle EastIn the first phase of the deal, a six-week cease-fire will begin, during which Israeli troops will withdraw from parts of Gaza. Hamas will release 33 of some 90 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Palestinians displaced by the conflict will be allowed to return to their homes in the first phase of the deal, while humanitarian aid will start to flow into the Hamas-run enclave.
Further negotiations on the second and third phase of the agreement will begin on the 16th day of the deal’s implementation, and analysts say this could pose the first real challenge to the cease-fire’s longevity.
The second phase of the agreement involves the release of the remaining hostages and, crucially, the end of the war. The final stage of the deal focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza.
The Israel-Hamas war has profoundly altered the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. Iran and Russia, once dominant forces, have suffered severe setbacks, while Israel has expanded its regional influence.
Menachem Klein, senior lecturer at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, said many Israelis have “mixed feelings” about the cease-fire and hostage deal.
“They are very happy that the hostages are back. On the other hand, they are frustrated because the war did not achieve its goals. Israel did not finish Hamas. Therefore, the expectation is to continue the war sometime in the future and destroy, totally destroy, Hamas,” said Klein, a former government adviser.