The Israel-Hamas war has devastated the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos offer some sense of the destruction in the territory.

The truce between Israel and Hamas was set to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time. The first Israeli hostages were to be released hours later in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The Gaza ceasefire will come into effect at 0630 GMT on Sunday. The White House expects three female hostages to be released to Israel in the afternoon through the Red Cross. Thirty-three of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages, including women, children, men over 50 and ill and wounded captives, are to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire.

Since the first moment of the war, I have been thinking about when it will end—whether it will be in two days, or in a week, or perhaps much longer. I was following the news closely from the start, and soon after the beginning,

The full extent of the damage will only be known when the fighting ends and inspectors have access to the territory.

A visual guide to how much has changed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began its military response to Hamas's attacks on 7 October.

The U.N. estimates that more than 50 million tons of debris now covers Gaza's streets and would take over 15 years to clear.

Israel’s military has set up sites to receive hostages while aid groups are preparing to use the cease-fire to increase deliveries into Gaza.

Israeli strikes killed at least 86 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip since the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, officials said.

Satellite images provide one way to get a sense of the devastating impact of the war on the Gaza Strip. Research released in the U.S. on Thursday estimates 59.8% of all buildings in the territory Gaza likely have been damaged in the war.

According to the analysis, as much as 70% of buildings in North Gaza and 74% in Gaza City are likely damaged or destroyed. Satellite images show widespread rubble and the ruins of structures in the area.