Israel withdraws forces as ceasefire takes hold; aid and prisoner exchanges to begin under first phase of peace agreement.

Palestinians have begun returning to northern Gaza after the Israeli military confirmed that a ceasefire is now in effect, marking the start of a new phase in the Trump-brokered peace and hostage return deal.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Friday that troops have pulled back to lines agreed under the Trump plan but will continue to “remove any immediate threat.”

The development comes after Israel’s government formally approved the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement.

Under the terms of the deal, Hamas has 72 hours to release all Israeli hostages, while Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian detainees. The ceasefire also opens the way for hundreds of aid trucks to begin entering Gaza, bringing food, water, and medical supplies to the more than two million residents, most of whom have been displaced by months of conflict.

In Gaza City, returning residents have been met with scenes of devastation. Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, and families are searching through the rubble for what remains of their homes.

“People are returning to scenes of total destruction,” reports BBC correspondent Rushdi Abualouf from northern Gaza. “There is little left standing.”

While the truce offers a glimmer of hope after months of bloodshed, officials caution that the road ahead remains fragile. Both sides are under pressure to uphold their commitments in what could be a defining test of the ceasefire’s durability and the Trump administration’s broader Middle East peace framework. (arise News)