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A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been confirmed by the United States and Qatar, pausing the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clearing the way for dozens of hostages to go home.
The ceasefire brings hopes of winding down the most deadly and destructive war Israel and Hamas have ever fought — a conflict that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Large crowds of joyful Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza, cheering and honking car horns.
“No one can feel the feeling that we are experiencing now, an indescribable, indescribable feeling,” said Mahmoud Wadi in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah before joining a chanting crowd.
The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.
