Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Friday that the next stages of deal to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip would see Hamas disarm and the enclave demilitarized.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines.

The announcement came hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved US President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and of Palestinian prisoners.

“Hamas agreed to the deal after Trump’s plan, which I agreed to with the president in Washington, isolated it internationally in an unprecedented way. At the current stage of the plan, we are focused on the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu said a video statement.

"Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck – and it is still on its neck," he added.

Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza in the morning started walking north after the military’s announcement a noon local time.

Beforehand, Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning.

The Israeli Cabinet's approval of Trump's plan marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.