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

The long-awaited ceasefire and hostage release deal between the Israeli government and Hamas will take effect on Sunday, potentially signaling a new chapter in a bloody 15-month conflict that has enflamed the Middle East.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was due to begin on Sunday morning at 8.30am local time (6.30am GMT). | ITV National News

The first phase of the deal, which includes a series of hostage and prisoner exchanges, is taking place from today. Meanwhile, Israel PM Netanyahu has vowed to bring home all hostages held in the Palestinian 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 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.