Written by Rebecca Oxtot
Edited by Andrew Hermann and Annika Lilja
Last updated February 10, 2025
As Israel and Hamas continue stage one of their ceasefire agreement, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning to what little is left of Northern Gaza, while dozens of Hamas hostages are gradually returning home to Israel.
Announced earlier this month, the ceasefire has put a temporary end to the conflict that has raged in Gaza for 15 months and killed 41,000 Palestinians, according to a senior UN official. The ceasefire is planned in three stages, the first lasting six weeks and involving a prisoner exchange, withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated Palestinian cities, and the admittance of hundreds of aid lorries into Gaza.
According to the BBC, seven Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during the October 7th attack were returned to Israel in exchange for the freedom of around 300 Palestinian prisoners. Eight of the hostages originally planned for release have been reported dead by Hamas, and the remaining seventeen hostages are planned to be released in stage one of the ceasefire. Palestinian prisoners being held for more severe crimes were transferred to Egypt, while others were released in the West Bank. As a part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has also lifted its closure of Northern Gaza, allowing 376,000 Palestinians to return, as estimated by the UN.
The United Nations has reported over 900 aid trucks successfully entering Gaza during the ceasefire. However, the World Health Organization still maintains the importance of urgent health aid in Gaza, where most hospitals have been damaged and 25,000 people have sustained life-changing injuries.
Major tensions remain concerning the future of the ceasefire, but the agreement has allowed for vital aid to enter Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return home, the safe return of several Israeli hostages, and brought a temporary halt to the destruction that has torn through Gaza for 15 months.
Check out this article for an update: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x4pxwne1yo
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-lets-palestinians-return-to-northern-gaza-for-first-time-in-over-a-year-as-cease-fire-holds/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r5y75d17vo
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159216
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-259-gaza-strip
https://www.un.org/unispal/document/sigrid-kaag-securitycouncil-briefing-16sep24/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/these-are-the-17-hostages-yet-to-be-returned-in-phase-one-of-gaza-ceasefire/