Truce in effect: Israel

THE Israeli military has said the ceasefire agreement with Hamas has come into effect and that troops have withdrawn to the agreed-upon deployment lines.

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The announcement came after Palestinians reported heavy shelling on Friday morning in northern Gaza, hours after Israel's cabinet approved United States President Donald Trump's plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza in the morning started walking north after the military's announcement.

The approval marked a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilised the Middle East.