Southern Ontarian families relieved for loved ones as Israel-Hamas ceasefire begins [Video]

Sunday marked the end of “15 months of agonizing torment and uncertainty” for Maureen Leshem of Toronto and her family in Israel.

Leshem’s cousin, Romi Gonen, was one of three hostages freed Sunday as part of a ceasefire deal that pauses the war in Gaza that began following the attacks by Hamas-led militants against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Today, my heart is filled with immense gratitude and relief,” Leshem said at a news conference in Toronto Sunday.

The six-week ceasefire agreement, which outlines a plan to gradually release a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, officially began Sunday after a three-hour delay. 

WATCH | First phase of Gaza ceasfire begins Sunday after delay: A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip took effect on Sunday after a nearly three-hour delay, pausing a 15-month-old war that has brought …