Storyline: Beit Hanoun, a town in the northern Gaza Strip bordering Israel, has seen no signs of conflict since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Sunday. The area was a frequent target for the Israeli military,

Hundreds of Israelis gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, some cheering and some in tears, as a giant television screen broadcast the first glimpse of the first three hostages to be released under the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Israeli media, carrying live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, is showing the first images of the first three hostages<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The first three hostages set to be released from Gaza were transferred to the Red Cross and were on their way toward Israeli forces, the Israeli military announced Sunday, hours after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold.

The three women were in stable condition, Sheba Medical Center said, and authorities released footage of them reuniting with their families, hugging fiercely and sobbing.

Officials say Israel and Hamas appear to be inching closer to a phased ceasefire agreement. But a deal hasn’t been reached yet.

Kan reports that three of the soldiers were severely injured, but their condition has since stabilized. The IDF informed the injured soldiers' families but did not publicize the incident. The eight soldiers were likely injured by an explosive device in a building they entered.

Ceasefire begins in Gaza after delays over hostage release negotiations. Stay informed on the latest developments.

The IDF set its sights on clearing it of terrorist activity over the last month, and it is not the first time it has been cleared; the Beit Hanun problem is symbolic of the wider challenge in Gaza.

Israeli military officials have recommended establishing a permanent security buffer zone in parts of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli media said on Sunday. Senior officials proposed creating the zone on the elevated areas of Beit Hanoun, which overlooks the illegal Israeli settlement of Sderot, Israel’s Army Radio reported.

Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes despite the delay.

People look at the Gaza Strip from an observation point in Sderot, southern Israel (Ariel Schalit/AP) Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired a missile at central Israel, setting off sirens and sending people fleeing to shelters without ...