Israel Begins Preparations to Implement Gaza Ceasefire After US-Brokered Deal

Rabat – Israeli forces said they have started “operational preparations” to implement the newly announced Gaza ceasefire deal, which US President Donald Trump said both Israel and Hamas have accepted.

The occupation forces said in a statement that, “following the political echelon’s instructions and due to the situational assessment,” troops are preparing for the agreement’s implementation.

“As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon,” the statement said. The army added that forces remain deployed and “prepared for any operational development.”

The announcement came shortly after Trump said on social media that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal. Qatar – which has been mediating talks along with Egypt and Turkiye – confirmed that an agreement was reached on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the first stage.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the development, calling it a step toward peace. According to the Wafa news agency, Abbas said he hoped the deal would be a prelude to achieving a two-state solution.

Abbas also stressed that Gaza’s sovereignty belongs to the Palestinian state and that the enclave must be connected to the occupied West Bank through unified Palestinian institutions and laws.

Cruelly overdue

Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Agnes Callamard described the truce as “cruelly overdue” after two years of immense suffering in Gaza. She said the deal “will not erase all [the Palestinians] have endured” and urged Israel to end its blockade on the territory and allow aid to flow freely.

Callamard added that for the ceasefire to last, it must include “an immediate stop to Israel’s genocide” and concrete steps to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and dismantle “the system of apartheid.”

She criticized what she called the “Trump peace plan,” saying it “falls woefully short” by failing to ensure justice and reparations for victims, or accountability for those responsible for atrocities.

Hamas has reportedly submitted lists of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release. Israel’s security cabinet is set to meet to approve those lists and the broader truce framework.

Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said that once the deal is approved, Hamas will have 72 hours to release the remaining Israeli captives still held in Gaza. 

Despite the announcement, Israeli strikes on Gaza continued overnight. According to Gaza Civil Defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir, several air strikes were carried out after the truce was announced, including “a series of intense air strikes” on Gaza City, AFP reported.

“Since the announcement last night of an agreement on a proposed ceasefire framework in Gaza, several explosions have been reported, particularly in areas of northern Gaza,” al-Mughayyir stated.