Israeli military say troops are withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines after agreement with Hamas

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said on Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines. The announcement came hours after Israel's Cabinet approved President Donald Trump's plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and of Palestinian prisoners.

To help support and monitor the ceasefire deal, US officials said they would send about 200 troops to Israel as part of a broader international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorised for release.

The Israeli Cabinet's approval of Trump's plan marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilised the Middle East.

A brief statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office early Friday said the Cabinet approved the "outline" of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are more controversial.

An Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the withdrawal, said the military would control around 50 per cent of Gaza in their new positions.

After the Cabinet approval, Gaza residents reported intensified shelling well into Friday morning.

In central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, Mahmoud Sharkawy, one of the many people sheltering there after being displaced from Gaza City, said artillery shelling intensified in the early hours.

A senior Hamas official and lead negotiator made a speech on Thursday laying out what he said were the core elements of the ceasefire deal: Israel releasing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, opening the border crossing with Egypt, allowing aid to flow, and Israeli forces withdrawing.

‘I want to see my home’: Gazans return

Tens of thousands of Palestinians were starting to walk north to return to their homes on Friday, after the Israeli military said the ceasefire agreement with Hamas came into effect. Large crowds of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza in the morning started walking north.

"We want to go back," said Fayez AlMajdoub, who was displaced from northern Gaza. "I want to go and make sure my home is still there. That's what I want to know."

The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said that Palestinians can now return to northern Gaza by two roads, though he warned against approaching areas in northern Gaza including Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, Al-Shujaiyya, and areas where troops are still present.