Israel army says preparing to pull back troops in Gaza as part of deal
The Israeli military said on Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire deal to free the remaining hostages.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the military said in a statement:
The [Israel Defense Forces] IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement.
As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are under way to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon.
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Reuters ar reporting that Israeli hostages may be released as early as Saturday. US president Donald Trump told Fox News the hostages would probably be released on Monday.
However a source briefed on details of the ceasefire agreement told Reuters that Israeli hostages may be released as early as Saturday and that the country’s military will complete the first part of a partial withdrawal from the territory within 24 hours of the deal being sealed.
The signing of the agreement is expected to take place at noon Israel time (9am GMT/10am BST) on Thursday, said the source.
Israel’s security cabinet and government are due to hold meetings on the agreement at 5pm Israel time (2pm GMT/3pm BST), reports Reuters.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday hailed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and said Italy was ready to help rebuild the devastated Palestinian territory.
The agreement, which follows a 20-point peace plan for Gaza announced last month by US president Donald Trump, is to be signed Thursday in Egypt. It calls for Hamas to free the remaning hostages and for Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Meloni said in a statement:
The agreement reached in Egypt for the implementation of the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan is extraordinary news.
I urge all parties to fully respect the measures already agreed upon … Italy will continue to support the efforts of the mediators and is ready to contribute to the stabilisation, reconstruction, and development of Gaza.
ShareIsrael’s far-right finance minister says he will not vote in favour of Gaza deal
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday that militant group Hamas must be destroyed after the return of hostages from Gaza.
According to Reuters, far-right politician Smotrich said he will not vote in favour of a ceasefire deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza, but stopped short of threatening to bring down prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
Smotrich wrote on X:
There is immense fear of the consequences of emptying the prisons and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders who will do everything to continue to pour rivers of Jewish blood here, God forbid.
For this reason alone, we cannot join in shortsighted celebrations or vote in favour of the deal.
Updated at 03.37 EDT
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed satisfaction on Thursday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza and thanked Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war.
Erdogan said on his official X account:
I am greatly pleased that the Hamas-Israel talks … have resulted in a ceasefire in Gaza.
I especially thank US President, Mr Trump, who demonstrated the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire.
Here are some images coming in via the newswires of celebrations in Gaza and Israel after the news that Hamas and Israel have agreed to the ‘first phase’ of a plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners:
Einav Zangauker, centre, mother of Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas, celebrates along with other families and supporters of Israeli hostages as they gather at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Photograph: Ohad Zwigenberg/APPalestinians celebrate in Khan Younis on after news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesNatali Zangauker, sister of hostage Matan Zangauker, pops a bottle of champagne while reacting to news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of US president Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Photograph: Reuters TV/ReutersPalestinian paramedic Saeed Awad looks at his phone displaying an image of US president Donald Trump, after the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire plan to pause fighting, as he stands at al-Aqsa hospital, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/APA person wearing a mask depicting US president Donald Trump holds US and Israeli flags after the hostage deal declared by Trump, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Photograph: Maya Levin/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday welcomed the agreement to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza and commended the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
“Now, all parties must fully uphold the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released safely. A permanent ceasefire must be established. The suffering must end,” she posted on social media, adding that the EU would keep supporting aid deliveries to Gaza and stood ready to help with reconstruction.
In a post on X, she wrote:
I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by @POTUS.
I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye in achieving this breakthrough. Am also encouraged by the support of the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Now, all parties must fully uphold the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released safely. A permanent ceasefire must be established. The suffering must end.
The EU will continue to support the swift and safe delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. And when the time comes, we will be ready to help with recovery and reconstruction.
Today’s opportunity should be seized. It’s the opportunity to forge a credible political path toward lasting peace and security. A path firmly anchored in the two-state solution.
ShareIsrael army says preparing to pull back troops in Gaza as part of deal
The Israeli military said on Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire deal to free the remaining hostages.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the military said in a statement:
The [Israel Defense Forces] IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement.
As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are under way to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon.
Israel and Hamas’s agreement to the initial phases of a plan to end fighting in Gaza is “a very hopeful moment”, UK cabinet minister Pat McFadden has said.
According to the PA news agency, the work and pensions secretary said:
I think we’ve got more hope this morning than we’ve had for a long time.
He told Times Radio that US president Donald Trump will “deserve credit” for his role in the ceasefire plan but so did other mediators.
McFadden added:
I think he does deserve credit for this, I think the mediators deserve credit, and I think it opens up potentially big possibilities, not just as I say in the immediate few days, but for the longer term future.
And that takes us back to the 20-point plan that was released by the United States about a week ago, which has the support of the UK fovernment, as the prime minister made clear at our party conference last week.
So it’s a very hopeful moment, and as I say, let’s hope that the hostages are released in the next few days, and hope that the suffering of the people of Gaza can stop and we can get the humanitarian aid that’s needed and then rebuild from there.
Updated at 02.55 EDT
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has added her voice to the world leaders welcoming the Israel-Hamas deal, saying the agreement marks a significant breakthrough, Reuters is reporting.
ShareAnalysis: Gaza truce deal a crucial moment but devil is in the detail
Andrew Roth
For Donald Trump, a peace deal – or even a durable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – could be the biggest diplomatic achievement of his presidency.
The details and sequencing of a deal to end Israel’s war in Gaza remain murky, but the statement of purpose by both Israel and Hamas is meaningful. In agreeing to a deal with political backing from Arab states and other regional powers, this is the best chance for an end to the war since a ceasefire broke down in March returning Gaza to a grinding war.
Since March there have been rumblings of a deal but nothing that has come this close. The first phase of the plan is straightforward: the return of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a limited withdrawal by the Israeli military. But locating all the hostages, and managing an Israeli withdrawal, could be complicated.
There is so much left to be discussed. The 20-point peace plan proposed by the Trump administration attempts to thread the needle between creating the conditions for a ceasefire and negotiating a lasting end to the war. The hard questions of Hamas’ future and whether the militant group will disarm, along with Israel’s vision for the future of Gaza, remain to be hammered out.
We have been here before. And yet, this is a crucial moment.
You can read the full analysis here: