Israel, Hamas Ceasefire Takes Effect as Troop Withdrawal Reveals Gaza’s Ruins
TEL AVIV/GAZA CITY — A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect Friday at noon, accompanied by Israel’s first phase of troop withdrawals from the Gaza Strip. The truce, brokered under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, comes after nearly a year of devastating war that has left tens of thousands dead and much of Gaza reduced to rubble, accürding to The Nation.
The Israeli army confirmed in a written statement that its forces had repositioned to new operational lines “based on the ceasefire agreement and the return of the abductees.” Military units, it added, remain on alert in the southern command area to counter “any immediate threat.”
According to Israeli media, the withdrawal will be completed within 24 hours. Troops are expected to pull back eastward from Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south, as well as from northern areas of the enclave, and consolidate positions along the so-called Yellow Line inside Gaza.
As the ceasefire began, thousands of displaced Palestinians attempted to return to Gaza City along Al-Rashid and Salah al-Din roads. But the return was shadowed by scenes of staggering devastation in neighborhoods vacated by Israeli forces. Activists and journalists posted footage of entire districts flattened, including Sheikh Radwan in northern Gaza City and Al-Nasr in the northwest. Homes, mosques, and main roads lay in ruins after months of bombardment and demolition operations.
One of the hardest-hit areas was around the Saeed Siyam Mosque in Sheikh Radwan, where artillery fire and airstrikes left buildings structurally uninhabitable. Gaza Civil Defense officials urged residents to avoid re-entering former combat zones, warning of unexploded ordnance and unstable structures.
The ceasefire deal is the first phase of Trump’s wider plan, which also envisions prisoner exchanges and future political talks. Early Thursday, Trump announced the agreement following four days of indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, with delegations from Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar mediating under U.S. supervision. He has signaled plans to travel to Egypt for a formal signing ceremony.
Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians, the majority women and children and displaced millions. Gaza, international agencies warn, has been rendered “uninhabitable” with infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and housing stock destroyed.
For Israel, the ceasefire marks the beginning of an attempt to reset its military presence. For Palestinians, it opens the possibility; however fragile of relief after one of the deadliest conflicts in the region’s history. Yet Friday’s harrowing images from Gaza underscored how much has already been lost, and how fragile peace remains.
