Ceasefire takes hold in Gaza under US-brokered plan
A long-sought truce halted the fighting and opened the way for the release of hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid, though deep challenges remained.
A ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, halting a devastating war and opening the way for the release of hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid, under a plan brokered by the United States and backed by regional and international partners.
The agreement, reached after intensive negotiations involving mediators in Egypt and Qatar, called for a halt to the fighting, the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of large quantities of food, fuel and medical supplies into the territory. It was envisaged as the first phase of a broader effort to end the conflict and chart a path for the future of Gaza.
The war, which began with the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, had killed tens of thousands of people, displaced most of Gaza's population and reduced much of the territory to ruins. The ceasefire brought relief to exhausted civilians on both sides and scenes of emotion as families awaited the return of loved ones.
World leaders welcomed the truce while cautioning that the hardest questions — over security, governance and reconstruction — remained unresolved, and that previous attempts to end the fighting had broken down. Aid agencies warned of an immense humanitarian task ahead.
For a region exhausted by two years of war, the agreement offered a fragile hope that the worst of the violence might finally be over, even as the work of rebuilding and of building a durable peace was only beginning.