Airstrikes Hit Gaza After Israel, Hamas Agree To Reach First Stage Of Ceasefire

Smoke billows as Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City. (Representative Image/AFP)

As the Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced on Thursday after a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the warthe Gaza civil defence agency reported that several intense airstrikes hit the territory.

“Since the announcement last night of an agreement on a proposed ceasefire framework in Gaza, several explosions have been reported, particularly in areas of northern Gaza,” said Mohammed Al-Mughayyir, an official with the agency, reported AFP.

The development came after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his plan to end the war in Gaza. Notably, the announcement came a day after the second anniversary of a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on October 7 that triggered Israel’s large-scale assault on Gaza.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump announced on Truth Social.

The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon.

Trump On Gaza Deal

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that a Gaza hostages-for-ceasefire deal hammered out in Egypt represented “a great day for the world.”

“The whole world has come together on this one, Israel, every country has come together. This has been a fantastic day,” Trump was quoted as saying by Reuters in a brief telephone interview.

“This is a great day for the world. This is a wonderful day, a wonderful day for everybody,” he said.