The Palestinian resistance group Hamas handed over three Israeli captives to the Red Cross on Sunday under the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. The three captives were handed over by Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, at Saraya Square in central Gaza City, according to an Anadolu reporter.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, in Gaza, is now in effect. The deal began after nearly a three-hour delay during which Israeli strikes killed at least 19 Palestinians.

Mughrabi and James Mackenzie JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli warplanes and artillery attacked the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday and Palestinian medics said eight people were killed shortly after Israel and Hamas missed a deadline for a ceasefire that could pave the way for halting the Middle East's most devastating conflict in years.