A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to begin this morning, with three Israeli hostages to be released from captivity in return for a first group of Palestinian prisoners.

If all goes to plan, the ceasefire will begin at 6.30am GMT and the hostage exchange will follow hours later. 

Fighting in Gaza continued right up until the eve of the truce, with Israeli forces beginning to withdraw from areas in Rafah through to the Philadelphi corridor early on Sunday.

Despite hopes the truce will pave a way to end the 15-month-long conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel had support from the US to return to war if necessary.

Calling the 42-day first phase a “temporary ceasefire”, he said: “If we are forced to resume the war, we will do so with force.”