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Israel Defense Forces carry out strike in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a strike in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, clearly sending a message that a ceasefire in Gaza does not mean that the Israeli military is halting operations across the region.
“A short a while ago, the IDF struck and dismantled Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of southern Lebanon, where engineering machinery used to reestablish terrorist infrastructure in the area they were located,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The presence of the machinery and Hezbollah activity in the area constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” the statement added.
ShareGaza residents return home to ruins in Khan Younis
Displaced civilians returned to a landscape of rubble and ruins in Khan Younis as the Gaza ceasefire came into effect. “No signs of life are left,” said one man. “Everything has been wiped out.”
ShareTrump expresses optimism about Gaza ceasefire and says he will travel to Israel and Egypt
Trump expressed optimism about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a gathering of reporters in the Oval Office. Asked about the ceasefire, Trump said, “I think it’ll hold. Yeah, I think it’ll hold. They’re all tired of the fighting.”
Trump also said he will be speaking at the Knesset in Israel and will travel to Egypt.
Thousands of people could be seen moving north in Gaza after the ceasefire was announced today and many will face scenes of destruction after Israel’s devastating two-year bombing campaign across the enclave.
Trump was also optimistic about the reconstruction of Gaza during the press gathering. “Gaza is going to be rebuilt, and you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there, and it would take a small fraction of their, their wealth to do that, but, and I think they want to do it,” he said.
ShareSenior Hamas official says the Palestinian people will not be stripped of their weapons 
A senior Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, told Al Jazeera in an interview today that the Palestinian people will not be stripped of their weapons because they are under Israeli occupation. He did not explain if that was the official position of the group.
The disarmament of Hamas is a key part of the peace plan that Trump has proposed and will likely be one of the most difficult issues to resolve in any future negotiations.
Marzouk also said that Israel has not violated the ceasefire deal but the Israeli military still controls over 50% of Gaza’s territory, and that will not be acceptable in the future.
SharePalestinians in Gaza hopeful and wary following ceasefire
Displaced people in Gaza were hopeful and wary after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began.
Hannin Musa told NBC News that despite all the loss and destruction in Gaza, she is happy about the ceasefire.
“Because we still survive,” Musa said. “Palestinians deserve life and nothing but happiness is appropriate for them.”
Musa explained that returning home is not easy for Palestinians in Gaza, where homes have been razed and essentials, like water and food, are unavailable.
Musa was also skeptical about the ceasefire deal and whether it will “guarantee justice.”
“We need guarantee all of them adhere to the terms of the plan,” she said.
Ahmad Al Khatib expressed the same skepticism about the ceasefire there have been previous agreements that Israel did not adhere to.
Al Khatib had a message for Trump, whose efforts to secure the deal he said he appreciates.
“We need some guarantees, please, we need some guarantees,” he said.