GAZA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan announced on Thursday that the Gaza ceasefire agreement will go into effect immediately after the Israeli government approves it.
The agreement represents a final cessation of hostilities on Gaza, Hamdan told the Qatari Alaraby Television Network in an interview, stressing that any prisoner exchange will not take place until a complete cessation of hostilities is declared.
"The ceasefire was supposed to go into effect at 12:00 p.m. local time (0900 GMT), but the agreement still requires Israeli government approval. Therefore, the international community must monitor Israeli behavior to ensure adherence to the agreement and prevent attempts to circumvent it," Hamdan said.
He said the first phase of the agreement will include the Israeli withdrawal from "Gaza City, the north, Rafah, and Khan Younis, and the opening of five crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid."
"Drone operations in the Gaza Strip's airspace will cease during the prisoner release process," which will involve "250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 other prisoners," he said.
"International agencies, not the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, will oversee the distribution of aid," he added.
Hamdan stressed that Gaza's administration is "a national affair" and "no external interference will be permitted."
Israeli and Hamas delegations have been holding negotiations brokered by Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh since Monday.
After several days of negotiations, the two sides agreed on the "first phase" of the Trump-backed peace plan, which includes a ceasefire and the release of some hostages and prisoners, marking a major breakthrough in the two-year conflict.
Since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli strikes have devastated the Gaza Strip, causing widespread famine and displacement, and killing at least 67,194 people and injuring 169,890 others, Gaza-based health authorities said Thursday. ■
