As the Gaza ceasefire takes hold, aid workers caution that the toughest challenges are yet to come, describing the truce as only the first step on a long road to recovery.

After the fighting paused, Hamas began to free some of its hostages, releasing 3, and Israel said it had released 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Mughrabi, Maayan Lubell and Emily Rose JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Palestinians headed for the rubble of their former homes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and Israelis prepared to receive the first hostages still held by Hamas after a ceasefire deal took effect that could pave the way for an end to the 15-month-old war.

Hunger has gripped the enclave, besieged by Israel, and the surge is a step toward alleviating it. But with Hamas asserting its grip on Gaza, questions remain about how aid is distributed.

Gaza At least 300 lorries laden with humanitarian assistance crossed into Gaza from Egypt on Sunday, hours after a 42-day truce in the war on the Palestinian territory took hold. Some of the lorries used a dirt track to cross an area of no-man's land between the Gaza and Egypt sides of the Rafah crossing,