US says Gaza ceasefire to start as planned despite ‘loose end’

Palestinians said they were desperate for the bombing to stop as soon as possible.

“We lose homes every hour. We demand for this joy not to go away, the joy that was drawn on our faces – don’t waste it by delaying the implementation of the truce until Sunday,” said Mahmoud Abu Wardeh.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen burst into Israeli border-area communities on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

If successful, the ceasefire would halt fighting that has razed much of heavily urbanised Gaza, killed over 46,000 people, and displaced most of the tiny enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to Gaza authorities.