Israel declared a ceasefire and began pulling back its troops in Gaza on Friday, as thousands of displaced Palestinians started trekking back to their ruined homes after two years of war.

The truce, pushed by US President Donald Trump, raised hopes among families of Israel’s remaining hostages that the guns would finally fall silent.

The Israeli army said its forces stopped firing at noon (0900 GMT) “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.” Three hours later, the Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the first stage of its withdrawal, though Israeli forces still hold around 53% of Gaza.

Hamas, Israel sign ceasefire deal, rekindling hopes for peace in Gaza

The pullback triggered a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release the remaining hostages held in the

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