Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.

It is unclear if disagreement over the list of Palestinian prisoners will affect the release of hostages within the agreed 72 hours.

Israel’s military says it has completed first phase of withdrawal, ahead of Monday peace summit in Egypt

JERUSALEM: Anticipation built across Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Sunday as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held before a critical day for all sides and the…

Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to…

JERUSALEM: Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday, the first to be released as part of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. There was no…

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani expressed hope the truce would be "sustainable and the beginning of a radical solution to this problem."

Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of more than 1,900 of prisoners held by Israel, with the first two buses leaving Ofer Prison.

The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

A major hostage and prisoner exchange marks a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.

Thorny questions such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza are still to be answered, highlighting fragility of truce