On Friday, the Israeli military announced that a cease-fire had officially begun at noon, with its forces commencing a repositioning process within the Gaza Strip.
A military statement clarified that troops from the Southern Command would remain vigilant, tasked with ‘continuing to remove any immediate threat.’
This announcement follows the Israeli government’s early Friday approval of a pivotal agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal mandates the release of all hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, alongside an initial withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza.
The immediate impact and real-time situation on the ground in Gaza after the cease-fire remained uncertain throughout Friday.
Military spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed that Palestinian residents in southern Gaza would be permitted to use main roads for travel northward. However, he issued a stern warning against approaching certain zones across Gaza, where Israeli troops would still be operating, emphasizing the ‘extremely dangerous’ nature of these areas.
The previous night, Thursday, the Israeli military reported striking a location in northern Gaza. They asserted this site was being utilized by Hamas fighters who presented an ‘immediate threat’ to their forces.
Gaza’s Civil Defense emergency rescue service later stated that the targeted location was a residential building, believed to house dozens of individuals at the time of the military action.
Details of the agreement, released Friday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, stipulate that Israeli forces are to establish new deployment lines within Gaza by early Saturday. Subsequently, Hamas will have a 72-hour window to release all hostages, including the remains of those who perished.
Furthermore, the deal confirms Israel’s authorization for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners, currently serving life sentences, and 1,722 Gazans who were detained during the conflict but were not implicated in the October 7, 2023, attacks. This group includes 22 individuals under the age of 18.
Stay tuned for ongoing developments as this story unfolds.