Tel Aviv gathers in prayer as Israel takes step toward Gaza truce

The move followed the Israeli Cabinet’s approval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, marking a key step toward ending the two-year conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Cabinet had approved the outline of the deal, while an Israeli official said the ceasefire was expected to take effect immediately, with military forces to begin withdrawing within 24 hours. The wider agreement, however, leaves open key questions about Hamas’s disarmament and the future governance of Gaza.

The war, sparked by Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on 7 October 2023, has left an estimated 67,000 Palestinians dead and nearly 170,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The conflict has also displaced most of Gaza’s population, drawn accusations of genocide that Israel denies, and triggered global protests. With the new agreement, both sides appear closer than at any point in months to ending one of the region’s deadliest wars in decades.