GAZA STRIP, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, JAN 20 (AFP/APP/DNA):Three Israeli hostages released Sunday from Gaza were reunited with their families on the first day of a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war that has ravaged the Palestinian territory.
By midnight Monday (2200 GMT Sunday), there was no announcement concerning the dozens of Palestinian prisoners meant to be released by Israel in exchange.
As the ceasefire took effect in the morning, thousands of displaced, war-weary Palestinians set off across the devastated Gaza Strip to return home.
In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, heading back to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.
“We are finally in our home. There is no home left, just rubble, but it’s our home,” said Rana Mohsen, 43, back in Jabalia.
The initial 42-day truce was brokered by Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators.
It is meant to enable a surge of sorely needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, as more Israeli hostages are released in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody, Israeli forces leave some areas, and the parties negotiate the terms of a permanent ceasefire.
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