Summary
- The long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza has come into force after a last-minute delay, with displaced Palestinians beginning to return to the cities they fled
- One man, from Gaza City, tells reporters his home may have been “swept away” but he wants to return to his neighbourhood – even if to “set up a tent”
- The first three Israeli female hostages are expected to be freed later – Hamas has named them as 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, and 24-year-old Romi Gonen
- Up until the ceasefire began, Israel continued to carry out strikes on Gaza, killing 19 people, according to the Hamas-run civil defence agency
- Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages
- The attack triggered a massive Israeli offensive on Gaza, during which more than 46,800 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry
‘We will set up a tent and stay in our neighbourhood’
We reported earlier on the thousands of displaced Palestinians who’ve been pictured and filmed returning to the cities they fled during the 15-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
We’re now seeing footage of some of those people pausing to celebrate, often in big groups, as they are able to make the journey – despite the reality being they may have no physical home to return to.
Saleem Nabhan, a displaced man from Gaza City, is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: “Our homes were swept away, so we will set up a tent and stay in our neighbourhood, so we can feel that we are back to our neighbourhood, to our home.”
In the southern city of Khan Younis, crowds are singing and chanting – guns have also been fired into the air.