Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal – pausing a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip – and so now dozens of hostages in Palestine are finally set to be released
These poignant photographs capture the emotional scenes across Gaza on Wednesday – after a ceasefire deal was finally reached.
It will pause the devastating 15-month war, which has cost of the lives of at least 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza. A third of the 100 hostages still held in the Palestinian territory are believed to be dead.
The deal, reached despite a last-minute snag, is expected to trigger the release of an estimated 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who have been held for several years. It is understood that some 190 of the Palestinian prisoners are currently serving sentences of 15 years or more, although Israeli officials said anyone convicted of murder would not be released as part of the exchange.
And pictures taken across Gaza on Wednesday night show scenes of joy and relief. Many residents were seen in tears following months of relentless atrocities. People young and old are snapped celebrating on city streets, including in Khan Yunis, a settlement largely destroyed amid the harrowing conflict.
Islamic Relief, a humanitarian organisation, has hailed the “rare moment of hope” after “15 months of unprecedented and relentless atrocities”, adding that the “big test will be what happens next”.
The casefire is due to come into effect on Sunday, days before Donald Trump comes into power. The 78-year-old politician hailed the “epic deal,” claiming that it could only have happened because of his election victory in November.
But Sunday may seem a way off for Palestinians after 24 citizens were killed in bombing runs from Tuesday into Wednesday, including two women and four children. One of the women was pregnant and her baby died as well.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250.
But the countdown to peace between Israel and Hamas during their missile exchanges is usually punctuated with outbreaks of violence.
One source said: “As we get closer to a deal usually the airstrikes increase in intensity and the rocket fire follows suit as both side tries to gain leverage. Even when and if a deadline for a ceasefire is declared, the hours before it are likely to be pretty high in violence and casualties.”
In the West Bank, the Health Ministry said at least six people were killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Jenin refugee camp late Tuesday. The Israeli military confirmed a drone strike in the area but gave no further details. Israel has carried out months of raids in the camp in what it calls a crackdown against militants.
In the Gaza Strip, the bodies of 11 people were brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after a strike smashed into a house in Deir al-Balah, officials at the hospital said. Another strike killed six people in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp and wounded seven more, according to Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Some of the dead were brought to the hospital in pieces, medical officials said. Among those wounded was Khaled Rayan, the head of the nursing department at the hospital.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses them of hiding among civilians. Thousands of Israelis gathered Tuesday night in Tel Aviv’s “hostages square” in anticipation of a ceasefire deal, with some singing and playing music on a stage.
But some demonstrators in Jerusalem chanted, “You don’t make a deal with the devil,” a reference to the Hamas militant group that attacked southern Israel in October 2023. Hadas Kalderon, whose ex-husband Ofer and two children were abducted by Hamas, said: “It’s a very critical moment, it can be the happiest moment but it can be also the worst.”
Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal as “long-overdue news” and paid tribute to British citizens who were killed during the conflict in the Middle East.
The UK Prime Minister said Britain would join its allies in continuing work to “break the cycle of violence and secure long-term peace” for Israelis and Palestinians, which he said would be grounded in a two-state solution. He paid tribute to “those who won’t make it home – including the British people who were murdered by Hamas.”
And Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the agreement offered “a moment of hope after over a year of agony” following Hamas’ “appalling attack” but “much remains to be done” to achieve lasting peace in the region.
“For the hostages and their loved ones, including British citizen Emily Damari, and Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or, this has been an unbearable trauma. For the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes or loved ones, this has been a living nightmare. For the region, this has brought yet more division and conflict,” he said.
“We will play our full part in the coming days and weeks, working alongside our partners, to seize this chance for a better future.”