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(NewsNation) — On day 2 of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, amid mixed feelings of joy and relief, there is uncertainty as to what happens next.
Aid trucks pour into Gaza after the release of three Israeli hostages and dozens of Palestinian prisoners. In the coming weeks, another 30 hostages are expected to be freed. Yemen’s Houthi rebels also signaled that they will limit attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea now that there is a ceasefire.
In less than a week, four more Israeli hostages are expected to be released from Gaza, and the remaining 26 will be freed over the next five weeks.
Gaza sees an increase in food and medical aid
Gaza is experiencing an increase in food and medical supplies, with more than 630 trucks of humanitarian aid in the region, according to the UN Egypt’s foreign minister has confirmed, with aid expected to continue daily for around the next 40 days.
However, the next critical step involves negotiating the second and third phases of the agreement. If agreed, these stages would include the release of hostages, a permanent pause in the fighting and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Phase three will focus on returning the bodies of the deceased hostages and beginning the reconstruction of Gaza.
The hostage’s father: ‘The task has not been completed’
Over the weekend, the first hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody.
It was a bittersweet moment for the families of those believed to still be in captivity, including the family of Itay Chen, an American-Israeli believed to be held hostage in Gaza.
“We also know that the job is not done and that there are still 94 hostages in Gaza and we must do everything to bring them back,” Itay’s father, Ruby Chen, told NewsNation. “We feel that all the families will stick together and support each other until the last hostage comes out. And that’s exactly what we’re waiting for.”
Ruby Chen and former military personnel emphasize that this agreement is only a partial agreement and that future negotiations are necessary. This, they emphasize, is not a peace agreement.
