Israeli army begins gradual withdrawal to east of Gaza Strip
The Israeli army began its gradual troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on Friday and will complete its withdrawal to the locations specified in US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war on the Gaza Strip within 24 hours, according to Israeli media.
“Over the next 24 hours, the Israeli army will complete its withdrawal from certain areas inside the Gaza Strip to the yellow line, as agreed in the Trump plan between Israel and Hamas,” Israeli Channel 12 said, adding: “The forces are expected to withdraw eastward from Rafah and Khan Yunis (south) and from areas north of the Gaza Strip and approach the border with the State of Israel.”
According to the Israeli Army Radio, the gradual withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in accordance with Trump’s plan, will be completed by Friday afternoon.
The agreement came after four days of indirect negotiations between the two parties in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with the participation of delegations from Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, under US supervision.
Early Thursday morning, Trump announced that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had reached an agreement on the first phase of his ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.
