Israel’s Defense Forces on Friday said a ceasefire agreement in Gaza came into effect from 12 p.m. local time (5 a.m.) ET, with troops pulling back from some parts of the enclave under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
The announcement comes shortly after Israel’s government approved a deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, paving the way for the first phase of a ceasefire and the return of all remaining hostages.
The Israeli cabinet ratified the agreement in the early hours of Friday morning, shortly after Trump and Hamas negotiator Khalil al Hayya declared that the war in Gaza is over.
“The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a social media post on X.
Under the terms of Trump’s initiative to end the war in Gaza, Israel’s military had been expected to withdraw from Gaza within 24 hours.
The ceasefire agreement follows a brutal two-year war that has sparked global outcry, upended the Middle East and left Israel increasingly isolated on the international stage.
Paliestinians and Israeli citizens were both seen expressing relief over the announced suspension of hostilities in the enclave, although details of how the deal will usher in a period of lasting peace remains unclear.
Gaza’s Civil Defense on Friday warned citizens not to return to border areas of Gaza City until an official announcement has been made regarding the withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces.
“Violating this warning puts your life at risk,” the official spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense said via Telegram.
“We urge everyone to comply for your safety and to facilitate the work of emergency teams and field authorities,” they added.
Sanam Vakil, director of Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, said Trump is claiming the agreement as a victory and seeking to deliver on his campaign promise of bringing an end to the conflict.
“At the same time though, he has exerted considerable pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu — something that his predecessor, President [Joe] Biden was unwilling or unable to do. This is what is novel here,” Vakil told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday.
“And that sustained pressure is really going to be necessary on all parties, Hamas as well as Israel, to keep the negotiations going, to get us to phase two, and ultimately, to see an end that provides Israel with security and Palestinians with sovereignty and agency over their territory. Hopefully with a Palestinian state at the end,” Vakil said.
Trump, who said he was “very proud” to announce Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of his peace plan earlier in the week, intends to travel to the Middle East over the weekend.
Source: CNBC