ALBAWABA - Even though a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement was officially approved, Israeli forces kept bombing multiple parts of the Gaza Strip with air and artillery on Friday. This made people worry that the deal might fall apart before it even starts.
Local emergency services said that one Palestinian was killed and several others were hurt when Israeli shells hit the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza City. Al-Shifa Hospital staff said that since early this morning, they have found 35 bodies in different parts of the city.
Al Jazeera's reporter says that Israeli forces attacked Gaza City from the air and with artillery, with helicopter gunfire backing them up. Naval ships also targeted Al-Rashid Street on Gaza's coast. Israeli warplanes hit northern Khan Younis in the southern part of the enclave, but no one was hurt.
The situation got worse just hours after the Israeli army said that a Palestinian sniper had killed one of its soldiers in Gaza's Al-Shati refugee camp on Thursday.
KAN, Israel's public broadcaster, said that the Israeli cabinet officially approved the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage exchange deal late Thursday after several delays. Part of President Donald Trump's plan for peace in Gaza is this agreement. It says that hostilities must stop completely as soon as both sides start following the terms.
According to the plan, Israeli troops should pull back to the "yellow line" that Trump drew in his proposal. During the first 72 hours of withdrawal, both sides must release all of their prisoners at the same time, based on lists that both sides have agreed on. This includes Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.
The deal also says that all air and artillery strikes must stop, drone surveillance over Gaza must stop, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter right away, in line with agreements made in January.
The Gaza Civil Defense told people not to go back to areas that were once controlled by Israeli forces until the official withdrawal is finished. They said that unexploded bombs and sniper positions are still dangerous.
Army Radio, on the other hand, said that Israeli troops in Gaza are getting ready to leave in accordance with the agreement, but there is no clear timeline for when all operations will stop.
