Israeli military says ceasefire agreement in Gaza has taken effect
[October 10, 2025]
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A ceasefire agreement between
Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time,
the Israeli military said 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.
Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central
Gaza in the morning started walking north after the military’s
announcement a noon local time. Beforehand, Palestinians reported heavy
shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning.
The Israeli Cabinet's approval of Trump's plan marks a key step toward
ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilized 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% of Gaza in their new positions.
Shelling continues through early hours
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.
“The shelling has significantly increased today,” said Sharkawy, adding
that low flying military aircraft had been flying over central Gaza.
In northern Gaza, two Gaza City residents told The Associated Press that
bombing had been ongoing since the early hours, mostly artillery
shelling.
The managing director of Shifa hospital, Rami Mhanna, said the shelling
in southern and northern Gaza City had not stopped following the Israeli
Cabinet’s approval of the ceasefire plan.
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Israeli soldiers walk near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from
southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have
agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining
hostages. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
“It is confusing, we have been hearing shelling all night despite
the ceasefire news,” said Heba Garoun, who fled her home in eastern
Gaza City to another neighborhood in the city after her house was
destroyed.
Details of the deal
A senior Hamas official and lead negotiator made a speech 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.
Khalil al-Hayya said all women and children held in Israeli jails
will also be freed. He did not offer details on the extent of the
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Al-Hayya said the Trump administration and mediators had given
assurances that the war is over, and that Hamas and other
Palestinian factions will 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,” Al-Hayya said in a televised
speech Thursday evening.
To help support and monitor the ceasefire deal, U.S. 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 authorized for release.
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