Gaza ceasefire officially takes effect
Shafaq News - Middle East
On Friday, Israel officially approved US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
In a statement, the office declared that the cabinet “endorsed the framework for the release of all hostages and the cessation of hostilities in Gaza,” in line with the ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, with Hamas.
The statement also noted that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the agreement.
With the cabinet’s endorsement, the ceasefire has formally entered into effect. Its first phase stipulates that Israeli forces will withdraw from a designated “yellow line” across Gaza within 24 hours, followed by the release of all living Israeli captives—around 20 individuals—within 72 hours, and the gradual return of the bodies of those killed. In exchange, Israel will free more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and others detained after October 7, 2023.
The agreement does not specify a fixed duration for the ceasefire and represents the first of its kind following two years of war during which Israel killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
Earlier, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya declared that the agreement reached to end hostilities and the Israeli offensive in Gaza includes a permanent ceasefire, confirming that the deal facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.
