A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza came into effect on Sunday morning. Hostages held in the strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will be freed in the first phase of the deal.

President Joe Biden confused Palestinian militant group Hamas with Hezbollah while announcing a ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday. Hamas and Hezbollah are both Iran-backed militant groups that have been involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He thanked both Trump and Biden, as well as Qatar and Egypt. The Pope's first words of gratitude were directed towards the key mediators who, in recent weeks, have worked tirelessly to broker

Joe Biden said this is the toughest negotiations that he has been part of. "But we have reached this point today because of the pressure Israel built on Hamas backed by the United States," he said.

The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza with ceasefire talks ending with success in Qatar.

Families and supporters of the Israeli hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas attend a demonstration in support of ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the day before it goes into effect, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 18, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

This deal, which was unchanged from what was proposed in May 2024, proves the persistence of resistance groups,’ Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said

The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire should see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released.

"The three released hostages are being accompanied by IDF special forces and ISA forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that "the guns in Gaza have gone silent" under a ceasefire deal he outlined in May.

Biden defended his support for Israel and said the hostage release and ceasefire were due to 'pressure Israel built on Hamas' with U.S. support.