Smoke billows during Israeli strikes east of Jabalia city in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP
Trump declared the truce was in effect and urged both sides to avoid further escalation, despite attacks between both sides continuing until the ceasefire officially began at 8:08am Cairo time.
Opposition figures Yair Lapid and Yair Golan called for an end to the military assault on Gaza. Lapid wrote on X: “And now Gaza. It’s time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war.”
Golan echoed the call, writing: “And now is the time to complete the mission: Return all the hostages, end the war in Gaza, and stop once and for all the coup that threatens to make Israel weak, divided, and vulnerable.”
The “coup” refers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, which critics say aims to strip the courts of oversight powers and consolidate political control over judicial appointments.
Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, a Netanyahu security cabinet member, rejected opposition calls for de-escalation. “Now we turn with all our strength to Gaza, to complete the task: to destroy Hamas and return our hostages,” he said.
Their remarks came as Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians gathered near aid distribution points in central Gaza — the latest in a series of deadly attacks targeting civilians seeking food and relief in the blockaded territory.
Medical sources cited by Al Jazeera said at least 71 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, including 54 who were shot dead while waiting for humanitarian aid.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Monday that the death toll in the territory had reached 55,998, the majority of them children and women, since the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza military began on 7 October 2023.
It said the number of wounded had risen to 131,559, with many bodies still trapped under rubble and unreachable by rescue teams.
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