The Israeli Army: The ceasefire in Gaza has entered into force – National

Ceasefire between Israel and agitation Came into effect on Gaza The army said on Friday, hours after the Israeli Cabinet approved an agreement to stop fighting and exchange the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza began marching north after the Israeli military’s announcement at noon local time. Earlier, the Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning, but no major shelling was reported after that.

The ceasefire represents a major step toward ending the devastating two-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, destabilized the Middle East, and left dozens of hostages, alive and dead, in the region.

However, the broader plan presented by US President Donald Trump includes many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will be disarmed, and who will govern Gaza.

Despite these questions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted in a televised statement on Friday that the next stages will see Hamas disarmed and Gaza disarmed.

“If it is achieved the easy way – so be it. If not – it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said. He added that Hamas agreed to the deal “only when it felt that the sword was at its neck – and it is still at its neck.”

The army said on Friday that Israeli forces had begun withdrawing to the agreed-upon deployment lines. An Israeli security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the withdrawal, said that the army would control about 50 percent of Gaza in its new positions.

In the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Mahmoud Al-Sharqawi, one of the many people who took refuge there after being displaced from Gaza City, said that the artillery shelling intensified in the early hours of Friday, before the army’s announcement.

Al-Sharqawi said, “The bombing has increased significantly today,” adding that military planes were flying low in the skies of central Gaza.

Residents of Gaza City in the north also reported shelling in the early hours of the morning.

Heba Qarun, who fled from her home in eastern Gaza City to another neighborhood after her home was destroyed, said: “It is confusing. We could hear the bombing all night long despite the news of a ceasefire.”

The conflict began when militants led by Hamas stormed Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

In the ensuing Israeli offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza were killed and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says about half of those killed were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and its figures are considered by the United Nations and many independent experts to be the most reliable estimate of the number of casualties.

The conflict has also sparked other conflicts in the region, sparked protests around the world and led to allegations of genocide, which Israel denies.

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Under the agreement, Israeli forces withdraw to new locations in Gaza, and all 48 hostages still in captivity are expected to be released. Israel believes that about 20 of them are still alive.

In return, Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The list of those prisoners published by Israel on Friday did not include prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian leader and potentially unifying figure. Israel and others consider him one of the terrorist masterminds who killed Israeli civilians and refused to release them in previous exchanges.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and chief negotiator, said in a speech Thursday evening that all women and children detained in Israeli prisons would be released.

Al-Hayya said: “Today we announce that we have reached an agreement to end the conflict and aggression against our people.”

The release of hostages and prisoners is expected to begin on Monday, two Egyptian officials familiar with the talks and a Hamas official said, although another official said that could happen as early as Sunday night. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal their names publicly while talking about the negotiations.

It is expected that all living hostages will be released at the same time, followed by the release of the bodies of the deceased, which may take more time.

Egyptian and Hamas officials said five border crossings were expected to reopen, including the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow aid to flow into the region, parts of which are suffering from famine.

Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian coordinator, told reporters on Thursday that officials have 170,000 metric tons of medicine, aid and other supplies ready to be transported to Gaza when they are given the go-ahead.

Trump’s plan calls on Israel to maintain an open military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force consisting largely of forces from Arab and Islamic countries will be responsible for security inside Gaza.

To help support and monitor the ceasefire agreement, US officials said they would send about 200 troops to Israel as part of a broader international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that were not authorized for publication.

The United States will also lead a massive reconstruction effort with international funding.

The plan also envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a comprehensive reform program that could take years.

Trump’s plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state, which Netanyahu strongly rejects.