Hamas says ready for Gaza truce after Lebanon ceasefire

GAZA CITY: Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza, a senior official in the Palestinian group said, hailing the ceasefire that took hold in Lebanon.

“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” the official told AFP, accusing Israel of obstructing an agreement.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect on Wednesday after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands of people.

The truce, which began at 4:00 am (0200 GMT), should bring to a halt a war that has forced hundreds of thousands in Lebanon and tens of thousands of people in Israel to flee their homes.

The Israeli army warned soon after the ceasefire began that residents of south Lebanon should not approach Israel Defense Forces positions and villages its forces had ordered to be evacuated.

“With the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement and based on its provisions, the IDF remains deployed in its positions inside southern Lebanon,” army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

“You are prohibited from heading towards the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or towards IDF forces in the area.”

The war has seen swathes of Lebanon pounded by air strikes, and Israeli troops deployed across the border to battle Hezbollah militants.

US President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his ministers had agreed to a halt.

Lebanon says at least 3,823 people have been killed in the country since exchanges of fire began in October 2023, most of them in the past several weeks, when Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah.

On the Israeli side, the hostilities with Hezbollah have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.

Hezbollah did not participate in any direct talks for the truce, with Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri mediating on its behalf.