Israel’s military said on Friday that it was now observing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The ceasefire came into effect at 12pm local time, the military said. Troops had begun positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire and the return of hostages in coming days.
As the troops withdrew, thousands of people began returning to Gaza city on foot from the south through Al Rashid road, videos shared by local journalists showed.
An Israeli army spokesman warned residents against approaching Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Al Shujaiya in northern Gaza, calling those areas “extremely dangerous”.
He also said people should not engage in any maritime activities, such as swimming and fishing, as they would be at risk.
The military's announcement came hours after the Israeli government approved US President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, involving the release of hostages held in Gaza and of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early on Friday said the Cabinet approved the “outline” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are disputed.
Gaza residents said the Israeli military intensified attacks in the hours after the Israeli government approved the deal.
“It is confusing, we have been hearing shelling all night despite the ceasefire news,” Heba Garoun, who fled her home in eastern Gaza city to another neighbourhood after her house was destroyed, told the Associated Press.
The start of the ceasefire opens a 72-hour window for Hamas to hand over 48 hostages to Israel, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
In exchange, Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, open the border crossing with Egypt, allow increased quantities of aid to enter Gaza, chief Hamas negotiator Khalil Al Hayya said in a televised speech on Thursday.
He said the Trump administration and mediators had given assurances that the war is over, and that Hamas and other Palestinian factions would now focus on achieving self-determination and establishing a Palestinian state.
“We declare today that we have reached an agreement to end the war and the aggression against our people,” Mr Al Hayya said.
More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The militants killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has devastated the territory and displaced most of its 2 million population. Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid created severe levels of hunger, with the UN declaring a famine in Gaza city in August.
