Truce ends two years of war in the Gaza Strip and provides for the release of hostages within 72 hours; Ministry of Health administered by Hamas estimates that more than 67 thousand people died in the territory
announced this Friday (10) the entry into force of a ceasefire in , after signing an agreement with the With the end of the fighting, tens of thousands of Palestinians began to return to their homes, many of them in ruins. The agreement, mediated by Egypt and the United States, provides for the release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip within 72 hours. The truce was confirmed by the Israeli Army at 9 am (GMT time), which corresponds to 6 am in Brasília. Since then, thousands of displaced people have started to return from the south to the north of the territory.
In Khan Yunis in the south, many found their homes completely destroyed. In recent weeks, Israel had intensified its ground and air offensive to regain control of Gaza, the main urban center of the Palestinian territory. After the start of the , the local Civil Defense reported that it began to remove bodies from the rubble. “Since the truce came into force, 63 bodies have been found on the streets of Gaza,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the body linked to the Hamas government.
The Israeli army said its troops were repositioning along the “withdrawal lines” in preparation for compliance with the agreement, but warned that some areas remained “extremely dangerous”. The special envoy of the President of the United States, Steve Witkoff, confirmed on
The pact, reached through indirect negotiations in Egypt, is based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump last month. The objective is to end two years of war, which began after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which left 1,219 people dead in Israeli territory, most of them civilians, according to an AFP report based on official data.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas, 20 are alive and 28 have died. The family of Alon Ohel, one of those kidnapped, said they were “overcome with emotion” and anxious for his return. Under the agreement, Israel must also release 250 prisoners for security reasons and another 1,700 Palestinians detained since October 2023. The list released by Israel does not include known leaders of the Palestinian armed struggle.
Despite celebrations on both sides, the ceasefire still leaves outstanding issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas and the creation of a transitional authority to govern Gaza — a proposal that is part of the American plan and is rejected by the Islamic group. The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health estimates that more than 67,000 people have died in the territory since the start of the Israeli offensive. The UN warns of a famine in parts of the Strip, an accusation denied by Israel.
Palestinian Civil Defense reported that around 200,000 people returned to northern Gaza this Friday. “This return is full of wounds and pain,” said displaced Ameer Abu Iyadeh, 32, in Khan Yunis. Arij Abu Saadaeh, 53, said he was “happy for the truce” but regretted having lost two sons in the war. “I just pray that my house is still standing. We just hope that the war ends once and for all,” said Mohamed Mortaja, 39, on his way to Gaza. The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem called on Friday for Israel to allow independent access for journalists to the Gaza Strip, blocked since the start of the conflict.
*With information from AFP
Published by Felipe Cerqueira
