The War Winds Down in Gaza as Israel Begins Gradual Withdrawal
The Israeli army began a gradual withdrawal from several areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, in implementation of the newly established ceasefire agreement.
The withdrawal came only a few hours after the Israeli government, at dawn on Friday, approved the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
According to Israel’s public broadcasting authority, the ceasefire in Gaza “came into effect immediately after the government’s ratification of the Trump plan.”
The same source added that Israeli forces “have begun a gradual withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as agreed upon during the Sharm el-Sheikh talks.”
The pullout will proceed in stages until the army reaches the borders.
Government spokesperson Shosh Berdsian announced that “within 24 hours of the ceasefire’s enforcement, the forces will withdraw from certain areas of deployment, while maintaining control over 53% of the territory of the Gaza Strip.”
The first phase of the plan includes several key provisions: a mutual ceasefire, the release by Hamas of all hostages held in Gaza—both alive and deceased—Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the devastated territory.
The approval of the agreement marks a crucial step toward ending the two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas in the besieged and destroyed Palestinian enclave, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and caused an immense humanitarian catastrophe.
Bombardments Until the Final Minutes
Since the announcement of the ceasefire on Wednesday night, the Israeli army has carried out heavy airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, particularly targeting Gaza City.
The intense bombardment continued until the government formally approved the agreement early Friday morning.
Hours before the ceasefire took effect, the Israeli army announced the death of Staff Sergeant Mikhail Mordechai Nahmani, a 26-year-old reservist from Dimona, who was fatally shot by a sniper during a military operation conducted by a unit of the 614th Combat Engineering Battalion in the Al-Shati refugee camp, north of Gaza City.
According to the army, the unit came under sniper ambush fire, severely wounding Nahmani. Medics attempted to resuscitate him in the field, but he was later pronounced dead from his wounds.
Official figures indicate that the death toll among Israeli soldiers since the beginning of the war has risen to 914.
In a separate incident that occurred yesterday, four soldiers were injured in a field accident inside the Gaza Strip, when a “Hummer” vehicle belonging to the Golani Brigade collided with a field artillery cannon while moving toward the border.
Two soldiers were reported to be in serious condition, while the other two sustained minor injuries.
