UPDATE – Uncertainty reigns over Gaza ceasefire as Netanyahu's office says deal to start after government approval

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a Gaza ceasefire deal will take effect tonight after approval by his government amid ambiguity about the start of the ceasefire.

However, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN and Egypt’s state-run Al Qahera News channel reported that the Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel took effect at 0900 GMT.

Israeli Channel 12 and The Times of Israel outlet quoted Netanyahu’s office as saying that the deal will go into force immediately once approved by the Cabinet.

The Israeli Cabinet is set to convene at 3 pm local time (1200GMT) to approve the ceasefire deal.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier confirmed that an agreement was reached to end the Israeli war on Gaza, without specifying when exactly the deal will take effect.

“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,” he said in a statement.

A ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas early Thursday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, based on a plan presented by Trump. The deal was announced after days of negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the Red Sea city.

The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has left Gaza largely uninhabitable, leading to widespread starvation and diseases.