The Daily Populous Monday January 20th, 2025 night edition
Authored by thetimes.com and submitted by TimesandSundayTimes

They were snatched images: fleeting glances at first of pale faces picked up in the crowds by television cameras as the three young women were escorted from a Hamas SUV to Red Cross Landcruisers and from there into military helicopters.

Later came the selfies as they embraced their mothers. Then, they posed for more mobile phone pictures to be sent to their families and transmitted around the world. Finally, videos released by the Israeli military showed the freed hostages being reunited with sobbing relatives.

The ceasefire in Gaza, which came into effect on Sunday morning, gives respite to 15 months of war, at least for now. In that war, tens of thousands of Palestinians have died. On the day that began it, in the