The ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas radical movement came into force on January 19, after which 3 Israeli hostages returned home and 90 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, The Associated Press reported. After the ceasefire came into force, more than 600 trucks carrying humanitarian goods entered the Palestinian enclave. The 3 young Israeli girls were the first of 33 hostages to be released in the next six weeks.
During this period, fighting must also cease, around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners must be released from prison, and fuel and humanitarian aid must be delivered to the Gaza Strip. After the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire, a permanent end to the war is envisaged and the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The situation in the Middle East escalated in 2023. after the attack of Hamas on October 7, as a result of which 1200 people were killed in Israel, 251 people were captured.
Some of them were returned in 2023. during the one-week ceasefire approved in November. In return, Israel returned 240 Palestinian prisoners to Hamas. As a result of Israel's retaliatory military operations, the number of victims in the Gaza Strip exceeded 46,600.
