Gaza ceasefire underway

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday morning after 15 months of war.

A ceasefire is a deal where two sides formally agree to both pause attacks and stop fighting.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli hostages and Palestinians held in Israeli jails have been released.

Israeli troops have moved away from areas which have the most people living in them, and Palestinians have begun to return home.

Ninety Palestinian detainees - people being held in Israeli jails - have been released in exchange for three Israeli hostages.

A hostage is someone who has been taken by a group or a person to try to force another group or person into doing what they want.

The return of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza since 7 October 2023 and the release of Palestinians being held in Israeli jails is an important part of the ceasefire deal.

This first section of the ceasefire deal will last for six weeks and will see 33 hostages taken by Hamas returned to Israel in exchange for the return of around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Gaza.

Palestinians who left their homes for their safety have begun returning to areas that have been destroyed

In the first stage, Israeli troops have also agreed to move away from the areas of Gaza that have the most people living in.

Some Palestinians who left their homes for their safety have already started returning.

Many have come back to homes that are destroyed.

There is a severe shortage of food and supplies in Gaza and as part of the agreement, aid trucks were also allowed to enter to distribute vital food, medicine and fuel.

The war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas - an armed group that the UK has deemed a terrorist organisation - attacked Israel.

Since then, Israel carried out air strikes and sent soldiers into Gaza, where many Palestinians live.

Many people have been killed and whole areas have been destroyed in the conflict.