NINETY Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails early today, having been held in horrific conditions, soon after three Israeli hostages left Hamas captivity in Gaza and returned to their home country.

Both sides were torn between celebration and trepidation as the fragile ceasefire appeared to hold.

For the first time in over a year, Palestinians across the war-ravaged coastal enclave began returning to what was left of the homes they had fled, started to check on relatives left behind and, in many cases, to bury their dead. 

After months of being kept out by tight Israeli restrictions, more than 600 lorries carrying humanitarian aid rolled into the devastated territory.

In Israel, the joy of seeing freed hostages Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher reunited with their families was tempered by major questions over the fate of the nearly 100 others abducted in Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack who remain in captivity in Gaza.

Many in Israel also questioned whether, despite the killing of more than 46,000 Palestinians, unprecedented devastation and a humanitarian catastrophe — which many have described as a genocide — Israel has met any of its war aims, including the defeat of Hamas.

Many voices in the Israeli media were damning of the ceasefire.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper complained that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has failed politically and the military and its chief of staff have failed militarily after 15 months of war.”

The Israel Hayom newspaper said: “The ceasefire agreement Netanyahu committed to is a resounding failure.”

Senior Israeli military figures also lambasted the deal.

General Giora Eiland said: “The war on Gaza is a major failure because it did not achieve its objectives. The same deal could have been reached in May without another 120 Israeli soldiers being killed.”

Reserve Major General Eliezer “Cheni” Marom, a former commander of the Israeli navy, agreed, saying: “For 15 months, we were unable to achieve any of the war’s objectives.”

Oded Eliam, a former head of Mossad operations division, added: “We must honestly admit that we did not achieve the main goal of the war, which was to eliminate Hamas’s military capabilities.”

Far-right former national security minister Ben Gvir, who resigned over Israel’s acceptance of the deal, said: “From what I’ve seen of the celebrations in Gaza, we know which side surrendered.”

Across Israel, the scenes of Hamas fighters celebrating openly in the streets of Gaza underlined the divisions over the ceasefire deal.

Asher Pizem, from the city of Sderot, said the deal had merely postponed Israel's next confrontation with Hamas. 

“They will take the time and attack again,” he said.