Wadi Gaza – just after noon on Friday, the rumble of artillery that had shaken Gaza for months finally fell silent. Israel’s Cabinet had approved a US-brokered ceasefire plan, drafted by President Donald Trump, to halt the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. For the first time in two years, a fragile sense of stillness hovered over the war-torn enclave.
The Israeli military confirmed that the ceasefire took effect at 12 pm local time. But only hours earlier, Palestinian residents reported heavy shelling in northern Gaza, a reminder of how precarious peace remains.
The ceasefire marks what could be a turning point in a war that has devastated Gaza, fractured Israeli society, and reshaped global alliances. Since Hamas’s deadly surprise attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, Israel’s relentless military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, displaced nearly two million, and turned much of the coastal strip into rubble.
Trump’s peace plan, his most significant foreign policy intervention since returning to office, calls for the full release of hostages in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal and international oversight of Gaza’s reconstruction. But the plan leaves several thorny questions unanswered: Will Hamas agree to disarm? Who will govern Gaza after the guns fall silent?
To the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the decision to back the plan was politically risky. Hardline members of his coalition had long resisted any negotiation with Hamas. Yet with public anger over the hostages’ fate deepening and global pressure mounting, Netanyahu had little room to maneuver.
In Washington, Trump framed the deal as a victory for “American diplomacy and moral clarity”. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, he said – “we are bringing our people home. It’s a complicated process, but it will happen by Monday or Tuesday, you’ll see”.
The US is preparing to deploy about 200 troops to Israel to help oversee the ceasefire and humanitarian efforts. According to defense officials, US Central Command will establish a – Civil-Military Coordination Center in Israel, to facilitate aid delivery and coordinate logistics with partner nations, NGOs, and private-sector contractors.
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