Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect to end 2-year Israeli war

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect in the Gaza Strip on Thursday following marathon mediation efforts to end a two-year deadly war in the Palestinian enclave.

“An agreement has been reached to implement a ceasefire and end the war in Gaza after two years of suffering, in accordance with the peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a statement.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN confirmed that the ceasefire deal took effect in the enclave.

However, Israeli Channel 12, citing sources in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, said that the ceasefire “will only take effect after government approval.”