A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has come into effect, with the Israeli military confirming an end to the fighting in Gaza began at 12pm local time on Friday.
Israeli troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have been seen walking from the south of Gaza towards Gaza City, in the north of the strip.
Alongside a ceasefire, a 72-hour period has now begun for Hamas to release the remaining hostages captured on October 7 who are still being held in Gaza.
The developments come after US President Donald Trump announced a deal had been made between Hamas and Israel on Wednesday night.
Trump is due to visit Israel on Monday, the country’s police force announced.
As Israel’s troops move reposition, a statement released by the IDF read: "Since 12:00, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.
"IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area and will continue to remove any immediate threat."
The IDF confirmed, overnight, troops "conducted a large-scale logistics operation in which troops were moved to predesignated lines and positions".
"Alongside the rearrangement of troops in the area, full logistical, medical and maintenance support is being provided to all units," it added.
The announcement comes after Palestinians reported heavy shelling Friday morning in northern Gaza.
The ceasefire forms the first part of a 20-point plan unveiled by Trump on September 30, which has been agreed by Hamas and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet met into the early hours of Friday morning to ratify the agreement that was reached with Hamas, following days of negotiations in Egypt.
"The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased," a statement from the prime minister’s office said on X.
Some 20 living hostages are set to be returned, but Netanyahu said militant group Hamas may not be able to find and give back remains of a further 28 deceased hostages.
US President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and former Middle East adviser, Jared Kushner, addressed the Israeli cabinet as it met to ratify the agreement.
Netanyahu, seated between the two at a large table, thanked the US.
“The combined military and diplomatic pressure that isolated Hamas brought us to this point,” he said.
Witkoff and Kushner praised Netanyahu in return, echoing the prime minister’s stance on what brought the deal about.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Trump for helping broker the deal, and said Russia stands ready to help implement it.
US forces have begun arriving in Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal, according to a US official. Around 200 troops are expected on the ground as part of the efforts to keep the agreement in place.
According to US officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, they will establish a “civil-military coordination centre” in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued strikes on Gaza on Thursday night, with one attack killing at least two people and leaving 40 others trapped under rubble in Gaza City.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 11 dead Palestinians and another 49 who were wounded arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours.
An Israeli official said the military was hitting targets that posed a threat to its troops as they repositioned.
Hamas accused Netanyahu of trying to “shuffle the cards and confuse” efforts by mediators to end the war in Gaza.
