Israel Approves Ceasefire as Strikes Continue Before Sunday Start
JERUSALEM/CAIRO — On Saturday, Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian militant group Hamas, set to begin at 06:30 GMT on Sunday, as confirmed by Qatar’s foreign ministry. The agreement includes the release of hostages held in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel.
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Despite the ceasefire deal, Israeli warplanes have carried out heavy attacks on Gaza since its announcement, with intensified strikes on Saturday. Israeli tanks shelled the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, while airstrikes targeted central and southern Gaza, according to residents. Medics reported that an airstrike killed five people in a tent in the Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service stated that at least 123 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardments since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday.
The truce aims to pause a 15-month-long conflict that has claimed nearly 47,000 Palestinian lives—predominantly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry—and 1,200 Israeli lives. Israel states it has killed over 17,000 Hamas fighters, though no evidence has been provided.
Brokered by mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt through months of indirect negotiations, the ceasefire will mark the second truce in the devastating conflict.
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