Celebratory noises replaced explosions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a cease-fire came into effect after 470 days of fighting, allowing some hostages to return to their homes in Israel, Palestinians arrested in Israel to be released, and expelling Gazans. looking for the remains of their homes.

Under the agreement that has been worked hard, the fighting between the Israeli army and the Hamas army stopped at 11:15 am, raising the hope of an end to the war that has caused the Middle East to be afraid and uncertain.

The first hostages – three women were captured when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 – released soon after. Early Monday morning, an Israeli prison said it had freed 90 Palestinian prisoners who were in Israel, where they were met by jubilant relatives.

At the same time, aid deliveries – more than 630 in one day – entered Gaza.

Joyous Palestinians honked car horns and sang songs in the central Gaza city of Deir al Balah, where children ran through the streets. Israel also celebrated, as the hostages began to return, with anxious families awaiting the release of others.

But the relief was knowing that the ceasefire was only supposed to last 42 days and release some of the hostages, and that there were serious diplomatic issues if it were to be extended. Israel and Hamas reached the deal in part by suspending the ongoing conflict until a “second phase” that neither side is sure will happen.

Almost as soon as the bombs stopped falling, camouflaged soldiers and uniformed policemen of Hamas came out of hiding and showed themselves on the streets of Gaza. The show of strength was obvious, showing that even after Israel’s massive war aimed at destroying Hamas, the terrorist group is still the main Palestinian force in Gaza.

On Saturday night, as the ceasefire drew closer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded enemies and allies that the first phase of the agreement is temporary and that Israel could return to war as part of negotiations on the next phase of the agreement. the cease-fire ended.

“We have the right to go back to war, if necessary, with the help of the United States,” said Netanyahu, whose coalition is deeply divided by the ceasefire agreement. he said in a televised address.

However, despite the worries of the following weeks and months, there were moments of joy on Sunday.

One of the freed hostages, Emily Damari, was seen smiling and leaning out of the open window of a car as she was taken to Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv. Ms. Damari was last seen 15 months ago, kidnapped from her home in a kibbutz in southern Israel. He had been shot in the hand, and driven away in his own car, a warrior on wheels.

A photo of Ms. Damari released by the Israeli army on Sunday showed her still smiling, despite missing two middle fingers on her left hand. All three hostages were later reunited with their relatives, who cried and held them tightly after a year apart, according to a statement issued by the Israeli government. Their parents, relatives and friends had joined the international campaign for their freedom.

Under the agreement, Hamas must gradually release 33 captives, and in exchange for Israel freeing more than 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including some serving life sentences for anti-Israel atrocities. Ninety of them – both women and children – were to be released on Sunday.

Friends of the three hostages released on Sunday danced, sang, and waved Israeli flags in the air as they gathered at the hospital’s helipad. Gal Kubani, 28, a friend of Ms. Damari, said she was “overjoyed” by the news of her release and was “proud of Emily for surviving this madness.”

In Gaza, the celebration was tempered by sadness. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, according to Gazan health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. A large area of ​​the fence is in ruins, and many refugees have no homes to return to.

As soon as the war ended, waves of Palestinian refugees began to head north, eager to see if any part of their homes was still standing.

Many people said they were determined to start saving lives they once knew, even if it meant more destruction. Ahed al-Okka, 52, a construction worker in Gaza City said:

For others like Suhaila Dawaas, a Gazan refugee who said she lost eight family members in the war, grief overshadowed any hope for the future. His house was badly damaged, although he hoped to find a few reminders of his family’s life in the ruins.

“I can’t say that I am happy with this agreement,” said Mrs. Dawaas, a 55-year-old mother of eight. “What is left for us after all?” After the eternal loss, destruction, pain?

Drone footage taken in Gaza showed people roaming the desert. The neighborhood of Gaza was reduced to concrete rubble, the streets turned to dust. With countless bodies still trapped under the rubble, members of the Gaza Civil Emergency Service went to work.

The war began when Hamas overran southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, Israel says, and taking 250 hostages. About 100 hostages are still in Gaza, although about a third are believed to have died.

Both Israel and Hamas have kept some of their products. At the end of the first phase of the deal, Hamas will have about two-thirds of the hostages. And Israel would occupy parts of Gaza, and hold key prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, the military leader and prominent Palestinian politician.

On Sunday, United Nations humanitarian aid trucks began entering Gaza about 15 minutes after the end, according to Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN humanitarian office for the Palestinian territories. Months of lawlessness and almsgiving restrictions prevailed reduce medical care.

Two convoys carrying ready-to-eat packages and wheat flour arrived at the house on Sunday, one through Kerem Shalom A crossing to the southeast of Gaza, and another crossing to the north, according to Martin Penner, a spokesman for the United Nations World Food Programme. The ceasefire agreement calls for 600 trucks to be allowed to bring aid to Gazans each day, although it is unclear how the supplies will be distributed.

The ceasefire has already opened up serious tensions within Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing coalition.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the right-wing national security minister, resigned in opposition to the cabinet and expelled his Jewish Power party from the coalition on Sunday. The Religious Zionism Party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, said it would do the same if Netanyahu continued the fight after the initial agreement. Israel’s parliament, which can force the government to fall and force new elections.

Teams of diplomats representing President Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump played a key role in stopping the bullets, and both men took credit for it on Biden’s last day in office.

In a speech in South Carolina, Mr. Biden defended his unwavering support for Israel, at the advice of others who warned that it could expose the US to a wider war. He said: “Abandoning the education I had would not have made us stop the fighting we see today.”

Reports were contributed by Adam Rasgon, Nathan Odenheimer, Ephrat Livni, Jonathan Reiss, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck, Vivian No, Fatima Abdul Karim and Yan Zhuang.