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Israel Awaits Ceasefire Confirmation as Crowds Gather; Hostage Release Expected Within 72 Hours
By Thursday afternoon, crowds of Israelis had begun gathering in the central squares, anticipating the government’s announcement confirming the ceasefire deal.
In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes and gunfire continued through Thursday ahead of the formal start of the truce — though at a slower pace than in recent weeks, when Israel carried out one of its most intense assaults on Gaza City.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Thursday, while nine deaths were reported over the past 24 hours — a sharp decline from the daily toll in recent weeks.
Signs of an Israeli military pullback were already visible on the ground. A witness near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza told Reuters that he saw Israeli forces blowing up an abandoned military position and lowering a crane used for surveillance in the area.
Near the Netzarim corridor, the main staging ground for Israeli troops in central Gaza, the army fired dozens of smoke shells — typically used to shield advancing soldiers.
Hostages to Be Freed Within 72 Hours
An Israeli government spokesperson said the ceasefire would take effect within 24 hours of the cabinet meeting. Following that 24-hour period, hostages held in Gaza would begin to be released within 72 hours.
It is believed that around 20 Israeli hostages remain alive in Gaza, while 26 are presumed dead and the fate of two others remains unknown. Hamas has suggested that recovering the bodies of the dead could take longer than releasing those still alive.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to visit Israel around the time the hostages return home. A note from the office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Herzog’s Sunday schedule had been cleared in anticipation of Trump’s arrival.
Deal Seen as a Major Diplomatic Breakthrough
The agreement has received support from both Arab and Western nations and is being widely portrayed as a major diplomatic victory for Trump, who described it as “the first step toward reconciliation across the broader Middle East.”
“All sides will be treated fairly!” Trump wrote on social media. “This is a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, for Israel, for all neighboring nations, and for the United States. We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for working with us to make this historic and unprecedented event possible. Blessed are the peacemakers!”
Meanwhile, Western and Arab representatives met in Paris on Thursday to discuss the establishment of an international peacekeeping force and reconstruction aid for Gaza once the fighting ceases.
Netanyahu Calls It a Moral Victory Amid Coalition Tensions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the deal as “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.”
However, members of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition have long opposed any agreement with Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that once the hostages are returned, Hamas must be “eliminated completely.”
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians. The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
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