SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire formally took effect today in Gaza. That means the clock is now ticking for both Israel and Hamas. Both are required to take key steps as part of the deal designed to end two years of war. For more, we have reached NPR's Greg Myre in Tel Aviv. Hi, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: So how did Day 1 of the ceasefire go?
MYRE: So far so good. Israel's government officially approved the ceasefire plan around 1 a.m. Friday. And the first big step after that was for Israeli troops to pull back in Gaza, which they did by midday, though they still control about half the territory. Now, with Israel meeting this obligation, the clock is now on Hamas. The group has three days to release the 20 Israeli hostages still believed to be alive. This looks most likely to happen Monday. And when that takes place, Israel is to start freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. So these next few days could be a strong indicator of how the ceasefire will play out in the longer term.
DETROW: So that is what's happening at the official level. There have also been scenes today of Palestinians filling the roads as they walk back to their home towns. What do we know about that?
MYRE: Yeah, the main road on Gaza's Mediterranean Coast was absolutely clogged with Palestinian civilians heading north, hauling whatever belongings they could. Many had been forced out of Gaza City recently when Israel announced a new ground offensive there. They congregated in southern Gaza. And today, with the ceasefire, they turned around and headed back to Gaza City on foot, piled into trucks, some on donkey carts. NPR's Anas Baba, who has tirelessly covered the war in Gaza, was in Gaza City today and offered this rather poetic description.
ANAS BABA, BYLINE: What was yesterday filled with airstrikes and tanks and everything from the Israelis is now slowly welcoming its own people back. It feels like I'm witnessing a place being born again.
DETROW: That's such a compelling scene to hear from Anas. And with so many homes destroyed though, where are the people of Gaza going to live?
MYRE: Yeah, roughly 90% of the homes have been damaged or destroyed, and entire neighborhoods are just dust-covered piles of broken concrete and twisted rebar. Many residents will likely be living in tents for years to come. But for - at least for a day, the focus was on just making it home.
DETROW: Yeah.
MYRE: And again, here's Anas Baba.
BABA: Israel erased and demolished most of the city, to be honest. But Gazans here, they don't wait for permission to live. They carry hope like oxygen. Gaza is not only rubble. Gaza is resilience.
DETROW: In the meantime though, Greg, looking ahead to Monday, President Trump plans to visit the region. What are we expecting?
MYRE: Yeah, Trump was already hugely popular in Israel, and his leading role in bringing about the ceasefire has only further elevated him here. He's going to receive a massive welcome and will be addressing Israel's parliament, the Knesset. Trump's visit will be brief, but he's likely to be here around the time many of these hostages are being released. And Scott, that's no coincidence. Trump would certainly like to link his visit directly to the hostage releases, and it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he manages to meet some of them.
DETROW: That is NPR's Greg Myre talking to us from Tel Aviv. Thank you so much.
MYRE: Sure thing, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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