Gaza ceasefire takes effect, Israeli troops withdraw to agreed line

A ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas - the first step in a wider US plan for a complete end to the two year-long war - took effect on Friday, according to the Israeli military.

Israeli troops have withdrawn to the agreed demarcation lines, a spokesman for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said.

With the start of the ceasefire, a 72-hour deadline begins for the release of living hostages abducted from Israel during the unprecedented attacks led by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

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Israeli sources say 48 hostages are still in the Gaza Strip, with 20 thought to be alive.

Israel would free around 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and roughly 1,700 others detained after the attacks two years ago, which sparked a massive Israeli retaliation that has left much of Gaza in ruins.

Following a breakthrough in peace talks, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump.

The Israeli cabinet approved the agreement on the US peace plan for a ceasefire overnight.

Israeli media reported troop movements out of the Gaza Strip and to the demarcation lines in the buffer zones at the edge of the area had began overnight.

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After the exchange of hostages for prisoners, a second phase of negotiations aims to create conditions to secure peace in the long term.

A complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip, demanded by Hamas, is only foreseen later, in Trump's plan, when an international stabilization force ensures security on the ground.

The disarmament of Hamas will also to be addressed later, as Hamas has not agreed to surrender its weapons, as stipulated in the plan.

Focus on helping Gazan civilians

The Gaza war began two years ago, triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 were taken hostage to Gaza.

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Israel's military response has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health authority controlled by Hamas.

UN agencies also say that many of Gaza's residents are enduring famine, and an independent commission of inquiry of the UN Human Rights Council concluded that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The territory has largely been reduced to rubble.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offered to support the repatriation of hostages and prisoners as part of the agreed ceasefire, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said on Friday.

Spoljaric stated in Geneva that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas must mark a turning point in two years of unimaginable horror.

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It offers a crucial opportunity to save lives and alleviate suffering, she said.

Local teams are also ready to assist in the repatriation of human remains so that families can mourn their loved ones with dignity, she said.

They could also take on the transport and distribution of aid supplies in the Gaza Strip.

"The coming days are crucial," Spoljaric said. She urgently called on the parties to honour their commitments, stating that the release measures must be carried out safely and with dignity.

Humanitarian aid must urgently be resumed in full and delivered safely to people wherever they are. "The ceasefire must hold. Lives depend on it."

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