🔗 Share this article

The Israeli cabinet has formally endorsed a comprehensive halt in fighting agreement that includes the liberation of all outstanding hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, marking a crucial development toward concluding the damaging two-year conflict.

US Military Participation in Supervising the Ceasefire

Top representatives in the White House have announced that a US armed forces unit of approximately 200 members will be dispatched to the area to "monitor" the truce after both Israel and the militant organization agreed to the initial step of the Trump leadership's ceasefire plan.

His responsibility will be to monitor, observe, guarantee there are no violations.

Immediate Enactment Timeline

As per an Israeli official, the ceasefire should commence without delay following administration endorsement. The Israeli military was given 24 hours to withdraw its units to an established position. Following that, the hostages held in Gaza would be freed within 72 hours, a administration representative announced.

Major Updates

• Hamas' overseas-based Gaza leader Khalil Al-Hayya stated he had obtained promises from the United States and other intermediaries that the hostilities was concluded.
• The leader of the US military's CENTCOM, General Brad Cooper, would initially have 200 personnel on the location, a senior American official confirmed.
• From Egypt, from Qatar, Turkish and probably Emirati armed forces personnel would be embedded in the team, the American authority stated. A additional official clarified that "American forces are scheduled to go into the Gaza Strip".
• Israeli strikes persisted in the period leading up to the Israel's cabinet's decision. Explosions were observed on Thursday in northern Gaza, and a strike on a edifice in the Gaza capital killed at least two persons and left more than 40 stranded under rubble, based on Palestinian rescue teams.
• A minimum of 11 fatally injured Gazan residents and another 49 who were wounded arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours, the Gaza Strip's Hamas-administered health ministry stated.
• Israel was striking objectives that presented a danger to its forces as they reposition, said an Israel's military representative who spoke on condition of confidentiality. Hamas criticized Israeli authorities over the airstrike, claiming that Netanyahu was attempting to "rearrange the circumstances and complicate" initiatives by mediators to terminate the conflict.
• 20 Israeli captives are still thought to be alive in Gaza, while 26 are assumed fatally injured, and the whereabouts of two is unclear.
• Former President Trump administration more extensive 20-point ceasefire plan includes many pending issues, such as whether and how the militant organization will lay down arms. But both parties appeared closer than they have been in an extended period to concluding the hostilities, which was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli territory, in which approximately 1,200 persons were murdered and 251 captured, prompting an Israeli counterattack that has resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinians fatally injured and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza's health ministry.
• Israeli Defense Forces announced an Israeli soldier, a 26-year-old reservist military personnel, was murdered in a militant sniper attack in Gaza City on Thursday late in the day. This took place after Israeli and militant representatives agreed to a deal in Egypt to secure the liberation of the captives, though the ceasefire aspect of the deal had not yet been implemented.
• Israeli media source a major Israeli newspaper has released the names of Gazan detainees it believes could be released as part of the latest arrangement. 250 Palestinian detainees who are serving life sentences are anticipated to be freed as part of the deal, out of approximately 290 presently held in Israeli prison. 22 young individuals will also be liberated.

International Reaction

There are no arrangements for UK or European military personnel to be in Gaza after the truce arrangement, the United Kingdom's top diplomat Yvette Cooper said. "It is not our intention, there's no intentions to do that," she said on Friday morning.

The official continued: "But there is an immediate plan for the US to spearhead what is practically like a observation process to make sure that this happens on the ground, to oversee the system with hostage release, and also guaranteeing that this first phase is enacted, delivering the humanitarian assistance in position, but they have also made very explicit that they expect the military personnel on the location to be supplied by neighbouring countries, and that is something that we do anticipate to take place."

Cooper stated she hopes the truce will be implemented "without delay". Based on the official, there are international talks on an "international safety contingent" and the United Kingdom was carrying on to assist in other ways, including looking at securing private investment into the Gaza Strip.

Public Response

Israeli citizens and Palestinian residents alike celebrated after the halt in fighting agreement was announced, while there was happiness but also apprehension in the Gaza Strip amid worries the latest agreement could break down.