Israel's Defense Forces on Friday said a ceasefire agreement in Gaza came into effect from 12 p.m. local time (5 a.m.) ET, with troops pulling back from some parts of the enclave under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan.

The announcement comes shortly after Israel's government approved a deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, paving the way for the first phase of a ceasefire and the return of all remaining hostages.

The Israeli cabinet ratified the agreement in the early hours of Friday morning, shortly after Trump and Hamas negotiator Khalil al Hayya declared that the war in Gaza is over.

"The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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