First Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages freed as Gaza ceasefire takes force
CNN
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel, and desperately needed aid is beginning to flow into the enclave. Follow for live updates.
• Displaced Palestinians have started returning to their homes in Gaza after more than 15 months of war, with images emerging of the scale of the damage. Meanwhile, aid workers have warned of the major hurdles ahead. • Three hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the first phase of a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Over the next six weeks, 30 more hostages are expected to be released, as are hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. • The Israeli military has withdrawn from several locations in Gaza since the truce began, an Israeli military official told CNN. However, the day after the ceasefire went into effect, the Israeli military shot and injured a Palestinian teenager in central Gaza, according to journalists working with CNN Monday. Romi Gonen, the 24-year-old released by Hamas on Sunday, has left a voice message for her loved ones expressing appreciation for their support during her 470 days as a hostage. “This is Romi, back from captivity,” she said in the message, which was shared by Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO) on Monday. Gonen was released by Hamas alongside fellow hostages Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher on Sunday, in the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
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