An explosion was seen on the Gaza skyline from southern Israel early on Sunday morning ahead of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which is set to begin, pausing the devastating 15-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.

Israel says the Gaza ceasefire will begin at 11:15 a.m. local time. The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office came after Hamas named the three female hostages it plans to release on Sunday.

Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes despite the delay, which underscored the fragility of the agreement.