The Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday afternoon that they had begun "taking positions along the updated lines of deployment." This news means that a ceasefire regime has been implemented based on an agreement between Hamas and Israel.
On Thursday, the Israeli government approved a new peace plan developed under the mediation of US President Donald Trump. According to the document, after the Israeli army deploys to designated positions, Hamas will be given 72 hours to return Israeli hostages.
"The troops of the Southern Command are in their positions and will continue to take countermeasures to any direct threat," the IDF statement said.
Official information about the exact areas from which Israeli troops are retreating has not yet been released. However, according to AFP sources, military equipment has been removed from some districts of Khan Yunis and the northwestern outskirts of Gaza.
Following this news, residents across Gaza are waiting for a signal to return to their territories. According to Israeli media, hundreds of Palestinians, who had been waiting on the road to Al-Rashid since yesterday, have started moving north.
At the same time, the Israeli military urges residents to follow only permitted routes and warns them not to approach the areas where Israeli troops are currently stationed.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues to control approximately more than half of the Gaza Strip - that is, 53 percent. The main part of this area consists of suburban buffer zones, which include the Philadelphia Corridor on the Egyptian border, the districts of Beit-Khanun and Beit-Lahiya, and the eastern parts of the city of Gaza.
"According to the agreement, SAHAL troops will remain in certain areas. Do not approach these places until the next warning is given - this could be dangerous for your life," the official statement of the Israeli army in Arabic says.
Colonel Avichay Adrai, a representative of the Israeli army, made a similar statement, noting that "approaching the buffer zone is very dangerous."
At the same time, it was reported that smoke rings were visible over the border between Israel and Gaza since Friday morning. It was reported that artillery fire was observed around Khan Yunus, and gunshots were heard in the area of the Netsarim corridor.
Nevertheless, many perceive this agreement as a temporary cessation of the conflict, allowing people to return home. The people of Gaza are now hopefully awaiting a true peace prophecy.
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