Media: Israeli troops begin withdrawal from Rafah in Gaza amid ceasefire with Hamas

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have begun withdrawing from the center of Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli military forces are heading towards the Philadelphia Corridor, which lies along the border between Gaza and Egypt, Caliber.Az reports via Al Jazeera.

On January 15, 2025, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced, aiming to end 15 months of conflict in Gaza. Qatar and Egypt brokered the deal.

Earlier, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel will take effect on January 19 in the Gaza Strip. In turn, Hamas declared that all disagreements with Israel regarding the ceasefire in Gaza had been resolved.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently addressed the status of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, emphasizing that the truce will not commence until Hamas provides a list of hostages they intend to release. This stipulation has led to a delay in the ceasefire's initiation, which was initially scheduled for 8:30 a.m. local time on January 19.

By Khagan Isayev