A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said on Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed lines of deployment.
The announcement came hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza on Friday morning.
The Israeli Cabinet’s approval of Trump’s plan marks an important step toward an end a devastating two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.
A brief statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said early Friday that the Cabinet had approved the “outline” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are more controversial.
An Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the withdrawal, said the army would control about 50% of Gaza in their new positions.
The shelling continues until the early hours
Following the cabinet’s approval, Gaza residents reported that shelling had intensified well into the morning.
At the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Mahmoud Sharkawy, one of many people who sheltered there after being expelled from Gaza City, said artillery shelling intensified in the early hours.
“The shelling has increased significantly today,” Sharkawy said, adding that low-flying military aircraft flew over central Gaza.
In northern Gaza, two Gaza City residents told the Associated Press that bombings, mainly artillery shelling, had been going on since the early hours.
Shifa Hospital director Rami Mhanna said shelling in the south and north of Gaza City had not stopped following the Israeli cabinet’s approval of the ceasefire plan.
“It’s confusing, we heard shelling all night despite the news of the ceasefire,” said Heba Garoun, who fled her home in eastern Gaza City to another neighborhood in the city after her home was destroyed.
Details of the agreement
A senior Hamas official and chief negotiator gave a speech Thursday outlining what he said were the core elements of the ceasefire: Israel releasing about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, opening the border crossing with Egypt to allow aid to flow and Israeli troops to withdraw.
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 the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Al-Hayya said the Trump administration and mediators had given assurances that the war is over and that Hamas and other Palestinian factions will now focus on achieving self-determination and establishing a Palestinian state.
“We declare today that we have reached an agreement to end the war and aggression against our people,” Al-Hayya said in a televised address on Thursday evening.
To help support and monitor the ceasefire agreementU.S. officials said yes send about 200 troops to Israel as part of a broader, international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorized for release.
President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have “both signed the first phase” of a peace plan that would release all hostages and force Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza.
#Israeli #military #Gaza #ceasefire #agreement #effect #noon #local #time