🔗 Share this article

Israel's cabinet has formally approved a comprehensive halt in fighting arrangement that includes the liberation of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, marking a major step toward terminating the damaging two-year hostilities.

American Armed Forces Involvement in Overseeing the Ceasefire

Senior representatives in the US capital have announced that a American defense unit of around 200 personnel will be sent to the region to "supervise" the ceasefire after both Israel and Hamas consented to the first step of the Trump leadership's ceasefire plan.

His function will be to monitor, witness, ensure there are no infractions.

Swift Enactment Timeframe

According to an Israel's spokesperson, the ceasefire should commence without delay following government endorsement. The Israel's defense forces was allocated 24 hours to pull back its forces to an agreed-upon position. Afterward, the detainees held in Gaza would be freed within 72 hours, a government spokesperson announced.

Major Events

• Hamas' exiled Gaza Strip head Khalil Al-Hayya stated he had secured guarantees from the United States and other mediators that the conflict was concluded.
• The leader of the US military's CENTCOM, Admiral a senior US military official, would at first have 200 personnel on the ground, a high-ranking US official stated.
• Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish and possibly Emirati defense representatives would be incorporated in the contingent, the US authority noted. A additional official stated that "no US troops are planned to go into the Gaza Strip".
• Israeli airstrikes continued in the hours preceding the Israel's administration's approval. Explosions were witnessed on the previous day in north Gaza, and a attack on a structure in Gaza City killed at least two persons and resulted in more than 40 trapped under rubble, as per Gazan civil defence.
• At least 11 deceased Gazan residents and another 49 who were wounded were admitted at medical facilities over the past 24 hours, the Gaza Strip's Hamas-run medical department announced.
• Israel was hitting locations that constituted a risk to its soldiers as they reposition, said an Israel's military authority who talked on condition of confidentiality. Hamas blasted Israel over the strike, arguing that the Israeli Prime Minister was seeking to "mix up the situation and disrupt" efforts by negotiating parties to end the war.
• Twenty Israel's captives are still believed to be surviving in Gaza, while twenty-six are assumed deceased, and the whereabouts of 2 is unclear.
• The Trump government more extensive 20-point truce proposal includes many pending questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm. But both parties appeared more proximate than they have been in an extended period to ending the conflict, which was sparked by the militant group's 7 October 2023 assault on Israeli territory, in which around 1,200 individuals were killed and 251 taken hostage, leading to an Israel's retaliation that has left more than 67,000 Gazan residents dead and nearly 170,000 hurt, as per Gaza's health authority.
• Israeli Defense Forces said an Israeli soldier, a 26-year-old reserve military personnel, was killed in a Hamas marksman incident in the Gaza capital on the previous day afternoon. This occurred after Israel's and Hamas representatives agreed to a deal in Cairo to secure the liberation of the captives, but the halt in fighting component of the agreement had not yet taken place.
• Israeli outlet a major Israeli newspaper has published the names of Palestinian inmates it considers could be released as part of the new arrangement. 250 Gazan detainees who are serving life sentences are expected to be liberated as part of the arrangement, out of about 290 currently held in Israel's prison. 22 children will also be liberated.

Global Response

There have been no plans for UK or EU forces to be in Gaza after the truce arrangement, the UK's top diplomat Yvette Cooper declared. "This is not our intention, there's no intentions to do that," she commented on Friday morning.

The foreign secretary continued: "However there is an immediate proposal for the United States to head what is practically like a monitoring system to make sure that this happens on the ground, to oversee the procedure with hostage return, and also ensuring that this primary step is executed, bringing the relief in position, but they have also made very clear that they anticipate the military personnel on the ground to be provided by neighbouring states, and that is something that we do foresee to take place."

The foreign secretary stated she expects the ceasefire will be enacted "right away". As per the foreign secretary, there are international discussions on an "global safety unit" and the United Kingdom was carrying on to participate in other manners, including exploring getting non-governmental funding into Gaza.

Public Response

Israeli citizens and Palestinian residents alike expressed joy after the ceasefire arrangement was revealed, while there was joy but also anxiety in the Gaza Strip amid worries the new deal could collapse.