GUNS FALL SILENT AS TO HELL ..AND BACK

Thousands of Palestinians be freed and heading home aid allowed in

- BY CHRIS HUGHES On the Gaza Border With pix by Andy Stenning

AS the guns fell silent across Gaza, an eerie peace marked the enclave finally entering an uneasy, tense ceasefire.

Thousands of Palestinians were making the long walk back to homes in the north after Israel stopped bombing the blighted territory. Hamas has until midday on Monday (10am IST) to release 48 hostages, just 20 of whom are believed still to be alive.

Israel will begin handing over hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, eventually freeing almost 2,000, including 250 serving life terms.

The country's troops are said to have pulled back to agreed lines as part of US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, which will end Hamas's grip on Gaza.

Yesterday was the first time there were no black and grey plumes of smoke as we viewed the Strip from within a mile of the border.

Warplanes have stopped unleashing hell on Gaza, but can be heard in the skies above.

Across the desert and scrubland haze it looks like a hellscape, a place where it seems impossible that anyone has survived.

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In recent days we have witnessed Israeli bombs piling into Gaza City as forces said they were trying to wipe out Hamas diehards.