On Sunday, as a ceasefire took effect in the 15-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas, three Israeli hostages were released. This marked the beginning of a truce that may facilitate a prolonged exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees while halting the devastating war that has ravaged Gaza.

The release involved three Israeli women, paving the way for an expected 90 Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged in this initial phase. Notably, the list released by Hamas did not include any Americans or two-year-old Kfir Bibas, who has become a focal point of global concern since his abduction during the attacks on October 7, 2023.

The hostages are currently being escorted by IDF special forces and ISA units back to Israel, where they will receive an initial medical evaluation.

In Gaza, the deal prompted widespread celebrations in a region severely impacted by the conflict commencing with the Hamas attacks on Israel. There is hope that negotiations could lead to an end to the violence that has reshaped the Middle East. Over the next six weeks, 33 hostages are slated for release as part of this initial agreement, including the two remaining missing Americans believed to be alive and two children from the Bibas family still in captivity.

President Joe Biden announced from Charleston, South Carolina, that an additional four Israeli women will be freed within a week and that three more hostages will be released each following week. Discussions concerning the second stage of the agreement are expected to begin in just over two weeks. In conjunction with the ceasefire, several hundred aid trucks are anticipated to enter Gaza today.

“After so much suffering and destruction, today the guns in Gaza are silent,” Biden stated. “Having worked in foreign policy for years, this has proven to be one of the most challenging negotiations I’ve participated in.”

Here’s what we know about the ceasefire.

What are the key details of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement?

The arrangement is anticipated to progress through three stages.

The initial phase, occurring over the next six weeks, will involve the release of 33 hostages in smaller groups at regular intervals in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli facilities. During this period, Israeli troops will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza. While most hostages from the first group are believed to be alive, not all are.

Negotiations regarding the second phase will commence in early February, soon after the first phase begins, focusing on the release of more hostages and detainees, ultimately aiming to end the ongoing conflict. The final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza and the recovery of any deceased hostages, a process that could take several years.

Who are the Israeli hostages released on Sunday?

Hamas announced it would free three female hostages: Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher. Israel has confirmed their release on Sunday, with the Israeli Defense Forces stating they arrived safely in southern Israel for medical evaluation.

At 23, Gonen was taken from the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. During her abduction, she reportedly told her mother, “They shot me, Mom and I’m bleeding,” while trying to escape the attacking forces, and added, “Everyone in the car is bleeding.”

Damari, who was 28 at the time of her abduction from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, is the last British national remaining in Gaza and holds dual Israeli-British citizenship. Her mother informed the BBC that Damari sustained gunshot wounds to her hand and leg during the attack, and Hamas also killed her dog.

Steinbrecher, a 31-year-old veterinary nurse, was in her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas struck. That day, she sent a voice message to friends stating, “They’ve arrived, they have me,” according to her family.

What about the Palestinian prisoners being released?

According to Israel’s Justice Ministry, the ceasefire agreement will result in the release of over 730 Palestinian inmates from the West Bank and an additional 1,100 residents of Gaza currently held in Israeli prisons.

Israel identifies many of these individuals as terrorists and criminals, while many Palestinians view them as freedom fighters who have often been imprisoned without fair trial due to their opposition to Israeli authority.

A list of 95 prisoners who may be included in this first exchange was released by Israel on Friday, with a significant number being women arrested following the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Approximately 10,000 Palestinians are currently in Israeli detention, with various charges ranging from throwing stones to attempted murder or producing weapons. Some faced broader offenses labeled as “state security” or “injury to state interests,” while others have not been charged at all.

What is the situation with the American hostages?

Hamas currently holds seven Americans, all of whom have dual Israeli-American citizenship.

Civilians Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, with connections to Connecticut, and Keith Siegel, 64, from North Carolina, are expected to be among those freed first, as part of the three Americans presumed alive who will be released in this agreement.

Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier from New Jersey, will be released in a subsequent phase of the deal.

“I just want to hug him,” said Alexander’s father, Adi, in a phone interview.

“I hope he says, ‘You know what? It wasn’t so bad, guys. I’m okay.'”

What led to this moment, and what lies ahead?

The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas, which governs Gaza, launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 individuals, who were taken back to Gaza.

Israel’s military response has left substantial damage throughout Gaza, with nearly 47,000 Palestinians reported dead according to authorities in Gaza. Biden has credited “months of active diplomacy” in reaching the ceasefire, aided by mediators from Qatar and Egypt. President-elect Donald Trump has also asserted his influence in this outcome.

“Some voiced concerns that my strong support for Israel and relentless pursuit of diplomacy might draw the U.S. into a broader conflict. I took those opinions seriously. However, I concluded that deviating from my path wouldn’t have led us to the ceasefire we’re witnessing today,” Biden remarked in Charleston.

He noted that the region has undergone significant changes due to Israel’s military operations, asserting that a credible path forward for an independent Palestinian state now exists, along with Israel’s normalization in the area.

If the ceasefire remains intact, it could signal the end of the war in Gaza.