Israel ceases fire as Gazans start returning home

Israel declared a ceasefire and started pulling backmost troops successful Gaza connected Friday, arsenic thousands of displaced Palestinians began to marque their mode backmost to their wrecked homes.

After 2 years of brutal war, the families of Israel’s remaining hostages successful the territory were besides hoping the truce — pushed by US President Donald Trump — would hold.

The Israeli subject said its troops had ceased occurrence astatine noon (0900 GMT) “in mentation for the ceasefire statement and the instrumentality of hostages”.

Three hours later, the US Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the archetypal signifier of a pullback laid retired successful Trump’s bid plan. Israeli forces inactive clasp astir 53 percent of the Palestinian territory.

The withdrawal acceptable the timepiece moving connected a 72-hour deadline for Hamas to merchandise the remaining hostages held successful Gaza.

Israel, meanwhile, published the database of the 250 Palestinian prisoners it plans to merchandise — on with 1,700 Gazans detained since Hamas triggered the latest struggle with its onslaught connected Israel connected October 7, 2023.

As the ceasefire began, agelong columns of Palestinians, exhausted by 2 years of aggravated bombardment and what the UN has warned were famine conditions, began a trek from the confederate metropolis of Khan Yunis towards their shattered homes further north.

The EU ngo astatine the Rafah borderline betwixt Gaza and Egypt volition beryllium reopening a pedestrian crossing connected October 14, Italy said.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas volition manus implicit 47 hostages — surviving and dormant — inactive held from the 251 abducted during the onslaught 2 years ago. The remains of 1 much hostage, held successful Gaza since 2014, are besides expected to beryllium returned.

– ‘Wounds and sorrow’ –

Gaza’s civilian defence bureau confirmed that Israeli troops and armoured vehicles were pulling backmost from guardant positions successful some Gaza City and Khan Yunis.

But Israel warned immoderate areas were inactive off-limits and that Palestinians should steer wide of its forces portion they were “in the midst of adjusting operational positions successful the Gaza Strip”.

“We’re going backmost to our areas, afloat of wounds and sorrow, but we convey God for this situation,” 32-year-old Ameer Abu Iyadeh told AFP successful Khan Yunis.

Before dawn connected Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said the authorities had approved a model of the hostage-release deal.

“Citizens of Israel, 2 years ago, the Simhat Torah vacation became a time of nationalist mourning,” Netanyahu said, referring to a Jewish festival that begins astatine nightfall connected Monday.

“This Simhat Torah, with God’s help, volition beryllium a time of nationalist joy, celebrating the instrumentality of each our brothers and sisters held hostage,” helium said.

The household of Alon Ohel, who is among the 20 surviving hostages owed to beryllium released, said they were “overwhelmed with emotion” and eagerly awaiting his return.

“With tears of joy, we received the quality that an statement has been reached,” the household said successful a statement.

Israel had antecedently said each parties had signed the archetypal signifier of a ceasefire statement astatine talks this week successful Egypt, adding that Hamas freeing the remaining Israeli captives would “bring the extremity to this war”.

– Joy and grief –

Despite celebrations successful Israel and Gaza and a flood of congratulatory messages from satellite leaders, galore issues stay unresolved, including Hamas’s disarmament and a projected transitional authorization for Gaza led by Trump.

Senior Hamas authoritative Osama Hamdan told Qatar-based broadcaster Al Araby the Palestinian Islamist question rejects the transitional authority.

Trump said the contented of Hamas surrendering its weapons would beryllium addressed successful the 2nd signifier of the bid plan.

Mohammed al-Mughayyir, an authoritative from Gaza’s civilian defence agency, said the areas Israeli troops were withdrawing from were Tal al-Hawa and Al-Shati camps successful Gaza City, some of which had seen aggravated Israeli aerial and crushed operations successful caller weeks, and parts of Khan Yunis.

Residents of respective areas of the Gaza Strip besides told AFP the Israeli subject a...