The statement came after Israel approved a deal between Israel and Hamas to pave the way for the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli military said on Friday that a cease-fire had come into effect at noon and that its soldiers were repositioning themselves within Gaza.
In a statement, the military said that soldiers in the Southern Command would “continue to remove any immediate threat.”
The statement came after the Israeli government approved a deal early on Friday between Israel and Hamas. It includes the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as well as an initial pullback by the Israeli military in Gaza.
It was not immediately clear what the situation on the ground in Gaza was on Friday.
Avichay Adraee, a military spokesman, said the Israeli military would allow Palestinians in southern Gaza to travel along major roads to the north. But he warned people not to approach several areas across Gaza where Israelis troops would remain active, saying those areas were “extremely dangerous.”
On Thursday night, the Israeli military said it had struck a site in northern Gaza, which it said was being used by Hamas fighters who “posed an immediate threat” to Israeli troops.
Gaza’s Civil Defense emergency rescue service said the site was a residential building that dozens of people were believed to be in at the time of the strike.
According to the text of the deal released on Friday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli military would move to new deployment lines inside Gaza by early Saturday. Hamas would then have 72 hours to return all of the hostages, including the bodies of those who have died.
The text also said Israel had authorized the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel and 1,722 Gazans detained during the war who were not involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, including 22 people who were under the age of 18.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
