In the Gaza Strip, celebrations began even before the cease-fire took effect. In Deir al Balah, the cease-fire was greeted with honking car horns, blasting music and celebratory gunfire. In Israel, the father of a hostage who was to be released gave thanks in a Facebook post and said a Jewish blessing.

Steve Witkoff detailed how implementing the recent ceasefire deal reached between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group could be “more difficult” than reaching it to begin with. The six-week ceasefire deal only just went into effect on Sunday,