Tel Aviv: The Israeli military says that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas came into effect at noon local time, and that troops are withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines.
Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike in the Gaza Strip on Friday.Credit: AP
The announcement came after Palestinians reported heavy shelling Friday morning in Gaza, hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved US President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and of Palestinian prisoners.
The approval marked a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilised the Middle East.
A brief statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early Friday said the Cabinet approved the “outline” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are more controversial.
