Chaotic scenes enveloped the three hostages from Israel who were handed over to the Red Cross on Sunday (January 19, 2025) by masked Hamas militants wearing green headbands in a packed Gaza City square. A dense crowd of Palestinians had gathered to watch the moment, the first release of hostages seized on October 7, 2023, under the new ceasefire that came into effect on Sunday.

A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the truce’s start by nearly three hours and highlighted its fragility. 

Israel on Sunday said a truce with Hamas began in Gaza at 09.15 GMT, nearly three hours after initially scheduled, following a last-minute delay on the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas also said on Sunday that it was awaiting a list of 90 prisoners to be released by Israel as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange on the first day of the Gaza ceasefire.

During the delay, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed eight people.

Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes despite the delay, which underscored the fragility of the agreement.