Watch live as crowds gather in Tel Aviv as the Israel and Hamas ceasefire sees hostages released on Sunday (19 January) after 470 days.

Over the course of three hours, crowds had gathered to watch the livestream in almost total silence, broken only occasionally with ripples of political chants and religious songs — “All of them, now!” and “Am Yisrael Chai.

Phase one of the deal states that Hamas officials will release a total of 33 hostages, many of whom are children, women and people over 50. In return, Israeli officials will release 50 Palestinian prisoners held in their jails for every Israeli female soldier released by Hamas, and 30 Palestinian prisoners for other hostages held by Hamas.

The first hostages held by Hamas since October 7, 2023 were released Sunday morning, with 33 hostages expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world

Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, and Naama Levy released from Hamas captivity • IDF: Concern over Bibas family's wellbeing

The Red Cross said on Saturday it had completed the second phase of release operations as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement, transferring four Israeli hostages from the enclave and facilitating the release of detainees from Israeli centres.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, on Tuesday, sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announcing that he would resign on March 6 after two years and two months in office, about 10 months earlier than the standard three-year term.

Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, on the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

Gazans were surveying the vast damage to their neighborhoods on Monday as anxious Israelis awaited news about the condition of the hostages.

Israel has freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The release comes early on Monday, more than seven hours after three Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza returned to Israel.