What we know
- CEASEFIRE DEAL: A ceasefire in Gaza went into effect at 12 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), the Israeli military said, after its government approved the first phase of a deal to bring the war to an end.
- WITHDRAWAL: Israeli forces have completed the "first phase" of their withdrawal from parts of Gaza, according to the U.S. and Israel, though Palestinians have been warned to avoid certain areas.
- HOSTAGE RELEASE: President Donald Trump said he expects Israeli hostages to be released Monday or Tuesday in an exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel today published a list of 250 prisoners set to be released. Forty-eight Israeli hostages remain to be returned by Hamas, 20 of whom Israel says it believes are still alive.
- TRUMP VISIT: Israel is stepping up security ahead of an expected visit by Trump, who has been invited to address members of Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
- TROOP DEPLOYMENT: The U.S. military is preparing options to deploy as many as 200 U.S. troops to Israel to support stabilization in Gaza and the flow of humanitarian aid and security assistance into the enclave, two U.S. officials familiar with the planning said.
- AID FOR GAZA: Aid is expected to flow into Gaza, where scenes of devastation and hunger, as well as a famine declaration, have prompted outrage around the world and left Israel isolated diplomatically.
Gazans return to Khan Younis
Gazans walked past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Khan Younis today as displaced people returned to their homes after the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Some supplies flowing through Kerem Shalom crossing, U.N. spokesperson says
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations, told reporters today that fuel, medical supplies and other critical materials have started flowing through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
U.N. officials want Israel to open more border crossings and provide safe movement for aid workers and civilians who are returning to parts of Gaza that were under heavy fire until only recently.
In the last several months, the U.N. and its partners have been able to deliver only 20% of the aid needed in the Gaza Strip, according to U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.
Israel Defense Forces carry out strike in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a strike in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, clearly sending a message that a ceasefire in Gaza does not mean that the Israeli military is halting operations across the region.
“A short a while ago, the IDF struck and dismantled Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of southern Lebanon, where engineering machinery used to reestablish terrorist infrastructure in the area they were located,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The presence of the machinery and Hezbollah activity in the area constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” the statement added.
Gazans return home to ruins
Displaced civilians returned to a landscape of rubble and ruins in Khan Younis as the Gaza ceasefire came into effect. “No signs of life are left,” said one man. “Everything has been wiped out.”
Trump expresses optimism about Gaza ceasefire and says he will travel to Israel and Egypt
Trump expressed optimism about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a gathering of reporters in the Oval Office. Asked about the ceasefire, Trump said, “I think it’ll hold. Yeah, I think it’ll hold. They’re all tired of the fighting.”
Trump also said he will be speaking at the Knesset in Israel and will travel to Egypt.
Thousands of people could be seen moving north in Gaza after the ceasefire was announced today and many will face scenes of destruction after Israel’s devastating two-year bombing campaign across the enclave.
Trump was also optimistic about the reconstruction of Gaza during the press gathering. “Gaza is going to be rebuilt, and you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there, and it would take a small fraction of their, their wealth to do that, but, and I think they want to do it,” he said.
Senior Hamas official says the Palestinian people will not be stripped of their weapons
A senior Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, told Al Jazeera in an interview today that the Palestinian people will not be stripped of their weapons because they are under Israeli occupation. He did not explain if that was the official position of the group.
The disarmament of Hamas is a key part of the peace plan that Trump has proposed and will likely be one of the most difficult issues to resolve in any future negotiations.
Marzouk also said that Israel has not violated the ceasefire deal but the Israeli military still controls over 50% of Gaza's territory, and that will not be acceptable in the future.
Gazans hopeful and wary following ceasefire
Displaced Gazans were hopeful and wary today after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began.
Hannin Musa told NBC News that despite all the loss and destruction in Gaza, she is happy about the ceasefire.
“Because we still survive,” Musa said. “Palestinians deserve life and nothing but happiness is appropriate for them.”
Musa explained that returning home is not easy for Palestinians in Gaza, where homes have been razed and essentials, like water and food, are unavailable.
Musa was also skeptical about the ceasefire deal and whether it will "guarantee justice."
"We need guarantee all of them adhere to the terms of the plan," she said.
Ahmad Al Khatib expressed the same skepticism about the ceasefire there have been previous agreements that Israel did not adhere to.
Al Khatib had a message for Trump, whose efforts to secure the deal he said he appreciates.
"We need some guarantees, please, we need some guarantees," he said.
Dozens of bodies recovered from rubble in Gaza City following ceasefire
Dozens of bodies were recovered from the rubble in Gaza City since the ceasefire went into effect today, according to officials in the enclave.
"More than 100 martyrs were recovered today from the Israeli army’s withdrawal sites in Gaza City, and medical crews were unable to reach many bodies due to the security risks in the area," Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, told NBC News.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense agency, said dozens of bodies remain buried under the rubble in Gaza City.
"Our crews are finding it difficult to reach them due to the presence of occupying forces in some areas of the city," he said in a post on Telegram.
Trump to address Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday
Trump is expected to travel to Israel on Sunday evening and will address the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday, according to a White House official.
After that, he will travel to Egypt to participate in a signing ceremony on the Gaza peace deal, the official said. Trump is also planning to gather with other world leaders while there, but those details are still being finalized.
The president is then expected to return to Washington.
Ceasefire brings 'long-overdue glimmer of hope,' UNICEF says
The ceasefire that went into effect today between Israel and Hamas has brought "a much-needed, long-overdue glimmer of hope for children and families in Gaza," the United Nations Children’s Fund said in a statement.
"In the last two years, a staggering 64,000 children have reportedly been killed or maimed across the Gaza Strip," the agency said. UNICEF is asking Israel to "open as many entry points as possible" to allow aid into Gaza.
"A genuine ceasefire must be more than words; it must be sustained and respected, placing children’s rights at the very centre," the agency said.
