JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced on Thursday after a ceasefire and hostage deal was announced, under the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza which has killed tens of thousands and reshaped the Middle East.
The enemies publicly endorsed the deal and had been expected to sign it around noon in the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el Sheikh (0900 GMT).
A senior Hamas official said both sides had signed the deal, but Israel did not confirm this. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the ceasefire would take effect only when ratified by the Israeli government.
Residents in Gaza reported a series of air strikes on Gaza City around the time it was due to be signed.
Under the deal, the biggest step towards peace yet, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza and Hamas will free hostages it captured in the attack that precipitated the war, in exchange for prisoners held by Israel.
A source briefed on details of the agreement said Israeli troops would begin pulling back within 24 hours of the deal being signed.
The release of all 20 Israeli hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza is expected on Sunday or Monday, an Israeli official said. Another 26 hostages have been declared dead in absentia and the fate of two is unknown. Hamas has indicated it may take time to recover bodies scattered across Gaza. Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations after news emerged of the pact.
In Gaza, where most of the more than 2 million population have been displaced by Israeli bombing, young men applauded in the devastated streets, even as Israeli strikes continued.
'ALL OF THE GAZA STRIP IS HAPPY'
"Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing," said Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. "I am not the only one happy; all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed."
Einav Zaugauker, whose son Matan is one of the last hostages, rejoiced in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostages Square, where families of those seized in the Hamas attack that sparked the war two years ago have gathered to demand their return.
"I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't explain what I'm feeling... it's crazy," she said, speaking in the red glow of a celebratory flare.
"What do I say to him? What do I do? Hug and kiss him," she said. "Just tell him that I love him, that's it. And to see his eyes sink into mine ... It's overwhelming - this is the relief."
Still, Gaza residents said Israeli strikes on three Gaza City suburbs continued overnight and on Thursday morning.
The Gaza health ministry said at least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, a lower toll than typical in recent weeks as Israel carried out one of its biggest offensives of the war, an all-out assault on Gaza City. The agreement was reached just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants' cross-border attack that triggered the war, and is the first phase of a 20-point framework put forward by Trump.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR TRUMP
The deal received a chorus of support from Arab and Western countries and was widely portrayed as a major diplomatic achievement for the US President, who cast it as a first step towards reconciliation in the wider Middle East.
"All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen," he wrote on social media.
Netanyahu called the deal "a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel". Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel has an interest in expanding the circle of peace and normalisation in the Middle East. - Reuters
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QUOTES
Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Yunis
"I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed."
Einav Zaugauker, whose son Matan is one of the last hostages
"I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't explain what I'm feeling... it's crazy. What do I say to him? What do I do? Hug and kiss him," she said. "Just tell him that I love him, that's it. And to see his eyes sink into mine ... It's overwhelming - this is the relief."
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