Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect, reports Egyptian media

(Web Desk) – The US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement has gone into effect on Thursday, reported Egypt's media.

According to the agreement signed in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, the ceasefire was set to take effect at 0900 GMT.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that “the ceasefire deal will only come into effect after it is ratified this evening by the government.”

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an agreement to secure the release of hostages in Gaza will take effect only after receiving cabinet approval.

"Contrary to Arab media reports, the 72-hour countdown will begin only after the agreement is approved in the cabinet meeting, which is expected in the evening hours," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

According to the media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene a meeting of the security cabinet on Thursday evening.

However, one MP – Bezalel Smotrich – has already said that he opposes the deal.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said an agreement has been reached to establish a ceasefire and end the war in Gaza after two years of suffering and woes.

He said the world is witnessing a historic moment that embodies the triumph of the will for peace over the logic of war.

Despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, Israel's bombing of Gaza continues with smoke seen rising over Gaza as viewed from the Israeli city of Sderot near the border.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said Hamas and Israel have agreed on the first phase of his plan for a ceasefire in the war on Gaza and an exchange of captives. 

Also read: Trump tells Fox News hostages in Gaza will probably be released on Monday

US President Donald Trump told Fox News' 'Hannity' programme on Wednesday that hostages held in Gaza will probably be released on Monday, after earlier announcing an agreement between Israel and Hamas over the first phase of a ceasefire.

"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan... BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!" - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/lAUxi1UPYh

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 8, 2025

Celebrations erupt in Gaza, Israel

Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations on Thursday after news of a pact between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead.

In Gaza, where most of the more than 2 million people have been displaced by Israeli bombing, young men applauded in the devastated streets, even as Israeli strikes continued in some parts of the enclave.

"Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing," said Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Younis 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. Thank you and all the love to those who stood with us."

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 the return of loved ones, Einav Zaugauker, the mother of a hostage, was ecstatic.

"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 added, referring to her son, Matan. "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."

Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan for the Palestinian enclave, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has disrupted the Middle East.