Where things stand
• Plan approved: Israel’s government has approved the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan. But it’s unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to stop fighting.
• US role: The US is sending 200 troops to the Middle East to monitor the plan’s implementation alongside soldiers from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE, a senior official said. “No US troops are intended to go into Gaza,” another official said.
• What’s in the deal: The release of all hostages, Israeli military withdrawal to an agreed point and the release of some Palestinian prisoners. Hamas said a “formal declaration” ending the war must be made before hostages are released.
Who are the hostages still held in Gaza?
All the hostages in Gaza are expected to be released either Monday or Tuesday under the first phase of a ceasefire plan agreed by Hamas and Israel, according to US President Donald Trump.
More than two years after Hamas and its allies kidnapped 251 people from Israel and took them to Gaza, 47 hostages remain in the enclave, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
The remains of another hostage, Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, have been held there since 2014, when he was killed and his body taken to the strip.
Gaza Civil Defense warns residents to wait for announcement of Israeli withdrawal as strikes continue
Gaza’s Civil Defense organization has warned residents in the besieged strip not to return to occupied areas until Israel officially announces the withdrawal of its troops, as Israeli strikes continued Friday morning despite the ceasefire plan agreement.
For context: Israel’s government approved the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal overnight. According to two Israeli officials speaking on condition of anonymity, that means the ceasefire is now in effect. But it’s not clear if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to stop fighting.
Either way, Friday morning saw intense airstrikes in the center of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with artillery shelling and drones flying over the city.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
Israel approved the Gaza ceasefire plan overnight. Here's what we know
Israel’s government approved the US-brokered ceasefire plan that will lead to the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
But it’s unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to stop fighting.
On Friday morning, Israeli warplanes launched intense airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, and eyewitnesses described airstrikes and artillery shelling in Gaza City. At least 37 people were killed in the enclave on the same day Israel agreed to the plan that global leaders hope will bring an end to the bloodshed.
Here’s what we know:
- What’s in the deal: The release of all hostages, Israeli military withdrawal to an agreed point and the release of some Palestinian prisoners.
- Outstanding issues: Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said a “formal declaration” ending the war in Gaza must be made for a hostage release to take place. And negotiations are ongoing for the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the deal, according to an Israeli source.
- The US role: The US is sending 200 troops to the Middle East to monitor the plan’s implementation alongside soldiers from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, a senior official said. “No US troops are intended to go into Gaza,” another official said. The US military will establish a coordination center in Israel to “support stabilization efforts,” according to a US official.
- Timing: Trump said the remaining hostages will be released from Gaza on Monday or Tuesday next week, and that he is still aiming to travel to the region.
- Aid ready: About 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other supplies are ready to be surged into Gaza, the UN emergency relief coordinator said.
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