After 15 months of collective grief and anxiety, three Israeli hostages left Hamas captivity and returned to Israel, and dozens of Palestinian prisoners walked free from Israeli jail, leaving both Israelis and Palestinians torn between celebration and trepidation as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold

President Biden released a statement following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire announcement Wednesday, saying release of American hostages will be included in the agreement.

Also slated to be released is Kfir Bibas, who was just eight months old when abducted on 7 October and turned two on Saturday. Hamas had previously reported in November 2023 that Kfir, his five-year-old brother and mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but there is no independent verification of this.

It remains unclear whether the six-week truce will lead to a permanent cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, or if fighting will resume.

Israel responded with a military campaign, starting with an immediate air bombardment and then a full-scale ground invasion launched on 27 October. Since then, Israel has attacked targets across Gaza by land, sea and air, while Hamas has attacked Israel with rockets.

CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger and global affairs analyst Kim Dozier explain the significance of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire-for-hostage deal, and why phase two of the agreement will be much more challenging.

Three female hostages were freed by Hamas under the terms of an Israeli cease-fire agreement, which was delayed by several hours Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that Israel's negotiating team had finalized a deal on the release of hostages held in Gaza.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mohammad Salem CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -Thousands of Palestinians burst into the streets across Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday, some in celebration,