Gaza ceasefire first phase takes effect: Israel completes initial troop withdrawal

The truce was announced hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal to exchange remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners, according to the Israeli military.

The truce is seen as a critical step toward ending the war, which has killed tens of thousands, leveled large parts of Gaza, and destabilized the region. The withdrawal marks the initial step in the phased truce and hostage-release deal brokered between Israel and Hamas, with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

Ceasefire implementation

Under the agreement, both sides are expected to observe a halt in hostilities, while humanitarian aid continues to flow into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire’s first stage also includes the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Netanyahu: “Hamas will disarm and Gaza will be demilitarized”

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement’s next stages would ensure that Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is demilitarized.

“If this is achieved the easy way — so be it. If not — it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said.

He added that Hamas only accepted the deal when it was under severe pressure.

“Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck — and it is still on its neck.”

Following the ceasefire, thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning north to check on their homes. Many found entire neighborhoods destroyed.

Heavy toll of the two-year war

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

In Israel’s subsequent offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says about half of the dead were women and children.

The war has spilled into neighboring regions, triggered global protests, and led to allegations of genocide, which Israel strongly denies.

Hostage-prisoner exchange to begin

Under the first-phase agreement, all 48 remaining hostages in Gaza are expected to be released, though Israel believes only about 20 are alive.

In return, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The list does not include high-profile detainee Marwan Barghouti, seen by many Palestinians as a potential unifying leader.

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s lead negotiator, said: “All women and children held in Israeli jails will be freed.”

Officials said the exchanges could begin as early as Sunday night, though most sources expect them by Monday.

Crossings to reopen and aid to flow

The deal will reopen five border crossings, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt, allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, where parts of the population are facing famine conditions, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials.