"Israeli forces have begun a pull-back of troops from Gaza Friday after Israel's cabinet approved a plan for a ceasefire aimed at ending the devastating two-year-old war. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a brief statement early Friday that the cabinet had approved the "outline" of a deal to release the hostages a key part of the initial agreement. "The government has now approved the framework for the release of all the hostages both the living and the deceased," the statement read."
"Palestinian residents have been massing near Gaza city hoping to return to their damaged and destroyed homes. "I feel reborn," says Mohammad Rajab, 33, who said the Israeli army was so far preventing people from returning. "Despite all the sadness and the huge destruction we are looking ahead and thinking about how we will build our lives, our future, our children's future, and rebuild everything that was destroyed and move away from war.""
Israel's cabinet approved the outline of a ceasefire that includes a framework to release hostages, prompting an initial pull-back of Israeli troops into a buffer zone. The government said the framework covers the release of all hostages, living and deceased, with handovers of living hostages expected to begin Monday. Hamas is believed to hold about 20 living hostages and the bodies of 26, with two unknown. Israel pledged to release roughly 250 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and about 1,700 Palestinians detained in Gaza, many held without charge; most released prisoners are expected to be deported.
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