Gaza ceasefire agreement comes into effect, Israeli army announces

Tel Aviv: The Israeli army has announced that the Gaza ceasefire agreement has come into effect.

The Israeli army says that 11 Hamas prisoners will be released.

According to Arab media, Israel has started to withdraw its soldiers from the line agreed upon under the Gaza agreement, while the people of Gaza have started to return to their areas.

Israeli cabinet approval

Earlier, the Israeli government approved a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement in Gaza.

The Israeli government's cabinet meeting regarding the approval of the Gaza peace plan was held, in which, in addition to the Israeli Prime Minister and ministers, US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated.

According to a statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, the government has approved the agreement to release all hostages.

Under the agreement, the hostages will be released in exchange for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army.

The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased.

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 9, 2025

According to reports, the Israeli army will now move to new positions inside the Gaza Strip, but will maintain control over approximately 53 percent of the area, after which 72 hours will be given, during which Hamas will release all hostages.

Background to the Gaza Deal

Efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza had been ongoing for months, after which US President Donald Trump presented 20 points for a peace agreement, which were supported by eight other Muslim countries, including Pakistan, while Israel also acknowledged these points.

Later, negotiations were held in Egypt between Hamas and Israeli officials through mediators, and two days ago, the US President announced a peace deal in Gaza.

In addition, a senior US official told the news agency that after the deal, an international force consisting of 200 personnel under US supervision will monitor the ceasefire, and this force will include soldiers from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and possibly the United Arab Emirates.