ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Israeli military announced that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas went into effect on Friday noon, with the Gaza government urging all Palestinians to cooperate with governmental and relief agencies to ensure a smooth implementation of the process.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early Friday announced that the government has ratified “the framework” of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan.

“The ceasefire agreement came into effect at 12:00,” said the Israeli military in a statement, adding that the forces began “positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.”

The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza urged its people to “fully cooperate with governmental and humanitarian agencies, in order to carry out the field and professional assignments required of them.”

“We emphasize that cooperation, discipline, and responsiveness to instructions issued by governmental and relief agencies is the safe path to accelerating and facilitating service efforts provided to our people,” the statement added.

The government office stressed that the measures are vital to “ensure the success of the recovery phase following the ceasefire agreement and the end of the war.”

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army's Arabic spokesperson, warned Gaza’s residents against approaching deployed Israeli soldiers in designated areas, the established buffer zone, and other restricted areas, cautioning that they are “extremely dangerous.”

On Thursday, during a cabinet meeting, US President Donald Trump stated that the Israeli hostages “should be released on Monday or Tuesday.”

In exchange, Israel has agreed to the release of 1,950 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who are facing life sentences.

The agreement, the first phase of a US-led peace plan, was announced earlier Thursday by US President Donald Trump and involves a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the exchange of hostages.

The initial phase of the peace plan, intended to progress into a longer-term security plan that includes the potential disarmament of Hamas, was accepted by both Israel and the Palestinian militant group following indirect talks.

The deal has been hailed regionally and internationally as a major breakthrough aimed at ending the war.

The agreement comes after two years of sustained conflict in the region. According to Gaza's health ministry, the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of over 67,000 people, the majority of whom are civilians.