Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza Has Taken Effect: Israeli Military
Tel Aviv: The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into force at noon local time, the Israeli army said on Friday, adding that troops were withdrawn to the agreed deployment lines.
The announcement came just hours after the Israeli Cabinet approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Gaza Valley in the center of Gaza in the morning and started marching northwards after the military’s announcement at noon local time. Previously, Palestinians reported heavy shelling of parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning.
The Israeli Cabinet’s approval of Trump’s plan marks an important step towards ending a devastating two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.
A brief statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early Friday said the Cabinet had approved the “outlines” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other, more controversial aspects of the plan.
An Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the withdrawal, said the army will control about 50% of Gaza in its new positions.
The bombardment continues until the early hours of the morning. Following the cabinet approval, Gazans reported that the bombardment intensified until Friday morning.
Mahmoud Sharqawi, one of many people who took refuge in the Nuseyrat refugee camp in central Gaza after being driven from Gaza City, said the artillery bombardment intensified in the early hours.
“The shelling has increased significantly today,” Sharkawy said, adding that low-flying military planes were flying over central Gaza.
In northern Gaza, two residents of Gaza City told The Associated Press that shelling, mostly artillery, had continued since the early morning hours.
Rami Mhanna, director general of Shifa hospital, said that the bombardment in southern and northern Gaza City did not stop after the Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire plan.
Heba Garoun, who fled from her home in the east of Gaza to another neighborhood of the city after her house was destroyed, said: “It is confusing, we hear shelling all night despite the ceasefire news.”
Details of the deal A senior Hamas official and chief negotiator spoke Thursday in a speech announcing what he said were the key elements of the ceasefire agreement: Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, opened the border crossing with Egypt, allowed the flow of aid and Israeli forces withdrew.
Khalil al-Hayya said that all women and children held in Israeli prisons will also be released. He did not provide details on the extent of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
Al-Hayya said that the Trump administration and mediators have assured that the war is over, and that Hamas and other Palestinian groups will now focus on self-determination and establishing a Palestinian state.
“Today, we declare that we have reached an agreement to end the war and the attack on our people,” Al-Hayya said in a televised speech on Thursday evening. he said.
To help support and monitor the ceasefire agreement, U.S. officials said they would send about 200 troops to Israel as part of a larger international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that were not allowed to be released.
