JERUSALEM — Pope Francis and Catholic leaders in the Holy Land are praying that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that began Sunday local time will bring a brighter future for the people of Gaza and the Middle East as a whole.

Three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were released Sunday and Monday under the terms of the agreement, which Israel and Hamas signed on Jan. 18 following 15 months of intense fighting triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

If all goes as planned, Hamas will release 33 of the more than 90 hostages it still holds in Gaza during the first of three phases of the ceasefire — a process expected to take six weeks. Israel has pledged to release 1,900 prisoners and detainees, many of them convicted terrorists, for the return of the remaining 94 hostages. More than 30 of those hostages were killed while in Hamas’ captivity, the Israel Defense Forces believe.

The ceasefire has already enabled more humanitarian aid to enter and be distributed in Gaza, especially in the beleaguered north, according to aid organizations. Additionally, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been able to travel back to their homes, but most are damaged or destroyed.

More than 900 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the truce held between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, according to the Israel authorities and the ceasefire’s guarantors, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, the United Nations said.

“At long last, aid at scale is entering,” said Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke. “At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families; and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention. It’s a tremendous hope, fragile but vital; this deal must hold.”

On Sunday, during his weekly Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square following the midday prayer, Pope Francis thanked “all the parties” involved in securing the ceasefire.

“I hope that, as agreed, it will be immediately respected by the parties and that all the hostages will finally be able to go home to hug their loved ones again,” the Pope said.

I pray so much for them and their families. I also hope that humanitarian aid will even more quickly reach ... the people of Gaza, who have so many urgent needs,” Francis said. “Both Israelis and Palestinians need clear signs of hope. I hope that the political authorities of both, with the help of the international community, can reach the right two-state solution.”

“May everyone say ‘Yes’ to dialogue, ‘Yes’ to reconciliation, ‘Yes’ to peace,” the Pope concluded.

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land also welcomed the ceasefire, in a statement.

“We hope that this ceasefire will mark an important end to the violence that has caused immeasurable suffering,” the ordinaries said. “It is a necessary step to halt the destruction and meet the urgent humanitarian needs of countless families affected by the conflict.”

Despite the pain that Palestinian and Israelis have suffered, “we continue to look to the future with unwavering hope. May this ceasefire inspire new efforts for dialog, mutual understanding and lasting peace for all. At the beginning of the Jubilee Year dedicated to hope that does not disappoint, we read in this event a sign that reminds us of God’s faithfulness,” the Church officials said.

The leaders called on political officials and the international community to develop “a clear and just political vision” for the hoped-for post-war period.

“A future built on dignity, security and freedom for all peoples is a prerequisite for true and lasting peace. We urge all parties to implement the immediate steps and negotiate the future steps of the agreement in good faith.”

Like other Palestinians in Gaza, Christians are benefiting from the deployment of Israeli soldiers away from populated areas and the influx of more humanitarian aid. Their homes uninhabitable, Christians will need to continue to live in the two church compounds that have sheltered them throughout the war, live in tented refugee camps or seek refuge outside Gaza. Hundreds of Christians have already left the enclave.

Whether the Christian community will be able to hang on during the difficult years to come will depend on whether war breaks out again.

Sara Hirschhorn, a historian and political analyst at the University of Haifa, told the Register the way forward will not be simple.

“Clearly, there is little trust between Israelis and Palestinians. By definition, Hamas, a terrorist organization, cannot be considered a good-faith actor, and there are also many allegations about the obstructionist behavior of the Netanyahu government — particularly its far-right parties — toward the conclusion of the deal. There are also many veiled partners, including state-sponsors of terror, like Qatar, Turkey and other nations involved behind the scenes,” Hirschhorn said.

Another cause for concern: the possibility — some say probability — that the terrorists Israel is releasing will commit future attacks against Israelis.

Yahya Sinwar, the late Hamas leader who organized the Hamas massacre, served in an Israeli prison before being released during the 2011 exchange of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier kidnapped by Hamas.

With so many moving parts, the ceasefire arrangement “is quite touch and go and could break down at any time over the next 42 days,” Hirschhorn said. While snags and violations are to be expected, their resolution will depend on the stakeholders’ willingness to honor their commitments.

Even if the current war ends, the Catholic ordinaries’ statement said, it is “necessary to seriously and credibly address the deep-rooted issues that have been at the root of this conflict for far too long. Genuine and lasting peace can only be achieved through a just solution that addresses the origin of this long-standing struggle.

“This requires a long process, a willingness to acknowledge each other’s suffering and a focused education in trust that leads to overcoming fear of the other and the justification of violence as a political tool.”

The Church officials ended with a prayer: “May the Lord bless this land with peace and lead us all on the path of reconciliation and healing.”