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Israel Hamas ceasefire: A fragile calm returned to parts of Gaza on Friday as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially took effect at noon local time (0900 GMT). The truce, brokered by the United States and endorsed by President Donald Trump’s administration, marks the first significant pause in the two-year-long conflict that has devastated the enclave and left tens of thousands dead.

The Israeli military confirmed that its forces had withdrawn to “agreed deployment lines” as part of the first stage of the ceasefire. Thousands of displaced Palestinians, many carrying what little they had left, began making their way north, through dust, debris, and the wreckage of their former neighbourhoods, to see what remained of their homes. “Thank God my house is still standing, But everything around it is gone, entire districts wiped out.” Ismail Zayda, a 40-year-old Gaza resident, said this to Reuters.

First Phase of Trump’s Peace Plan Begins

According to officials, the truce follows the Israeli Cabinet’s overnight approval of President Trump’s multi-stage peace initiative. The plan includes a prisoner exchange, the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the reopening of humanitarian corridors.

Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 20 surviving Israeli hostages within 72 hours. In return, Israel will free around 2,000 Palestinian detainees, including 250 serving long prison terms and more than 1,700 held in Gaza during the war. Israel said it will maintain control over roughly half of the Gaza Strip for “security reasons” while allowing aid convoys to enter freely. Food, medicine, and fuel shipments are expected to begin moving through the Rafah crossing with Egypt later on Friday.

For many Gazans, the announcement brought both relief and despair. The joy of returning home was tempered by the grim reality of flattened cities and lost families. “We are happy to go back, even if it’s just to the rubble,” Mahdi Saqla, 40, standing near a makeshift tent in central Gaza, said to Reuters. “For two years, we’ve been wandering. Returning to what’s left is still a kind of victory,” he added.

Despite the ceasefire, reports of sporadic shelling continued early Friday in parts of Khan Younis and Nuseirat. Residents said Israeli tanks had begun pulling back, though gunfire was still heard in some zones. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin urged Gazans to avoid entering areas still under Israeli control. “Keep to the agreement and ensure your safety,” he said in a televised message.

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Hamas Declares ‘War Over’

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy leader in Gaza, said the group had received assurances from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar that the war was over. “We declare that we have reached an agreement to end the aggression against our people,” he said on Thursday evening. The war, which began in October 2023 after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, has since claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health authorities.

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Trump is expected to visit the region on Sunday for what officials described as a “symbolic signing ceremony” in Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the truce would be monitored closely, warning that Israel’s forces would remain “ready for action” if Hamas violated the deal. “If peace can be achieved the easy way, that’s good; If not, it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said. 

With inputs from agency