Gaza peace deal: Earlier, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to end the two-year-old war in Gaza. As part of the deal Hamas will release 20 Israeli hostages – who are alive – within 72 hours of the ceasefire. Similarly, Israel will release the Palestinian prisoners in its jail.
At least 30 civilians have lost their lives in Gaza in Israeli strikes since Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire on Wednesday, reported CNN quoting an Palestinian health official. He said over 40 were trapped under the debris in an Israeli strike in northern Gazaโs Al-Sabra neighbourhood, adding that six were killed.ย
“In total, 30 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday evening,” Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of the local Al-Shifa Hospital, told CNN.ย
However, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) defended the strike, saying it “struck a Hamas terrorist cell”. In a statement, it further said that the cell was “operating in close proximity to IDF troops”, posing an “immediate threat”.ย
Israel-Hamas peace deal and Trump’s Middle East visit
Earlier, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to end the two-year-old war in Gaza. As part of the deal Hamas will release 20 Israeli hostages – who are alive – within 72 hours of the ceasefire. Similarly, Israel will release the Palestinian prisoners in its jail.
US President Donald Trump, who brokered the peace deal, said he would also be visiting the Middle East later this week or early next week. “We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages, and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday. Getting them is a complicated process… I’m going to try and make a trip over. We’re going to try and get over there. We’re working on the timing, the exact timing,” he said.
With Trump planning to visit the Middle East, the US has also planned to send 200 of its troops to Israel to monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza, reported Associated Press quoting an official. The US Central Command, the official said, will also establish a civil-military coordination centre in Israel to help provide humanitarian aid in Gaza.ย ย ย
Israel approves ‘outline’ of deal to release hostages held by Hamas
Meanwhile, Israeli Cabinet has approved the ‘outline’ of a deal to release hostages held by Hamas, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. “The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages โ the living and the deceased,” it said.
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