(NewsNation) — The Israeli military fired at several people it said approached troops in northern Gaza on Tuesday, a day after mediators signed a ceasefire agreement to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“After multiple attempts to distance them, the suspects refused to comply, prompting troops to open fire to remove the threat. Reports of terrorists infiltrating an IDF position are incorrect,” the Israeli Defense Forces said on social media.
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The first phase of the ceasefire agreement saw the reunification of families, a long-awaited development for those in the region and around the globe. But the question remains of how to transform the agreement into long-term peace in the region.
President Donald Trump said the most challenging step — reaching a deal — is over and that “rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part” of the process.
Deceased hostages returned in peace deal ID’d
The shootings Tuesday came as Israelis celebrate the return of 20 living and four deceased hostages and continue to await the release of the remains of 24 more.
The IDF identified Guy Iluz and Bipin Joshi as two of the deceased, and families have not cleared the release of the names of two additional hostages.
Iluz, 26, was a sound technician and fled from the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7 attacks. Joshi, 23, was originally from Nepal and was studying agriculture at the Israeli kibbutz of Alumim, according to officials.
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Roughly 200 U.S. troops are stationed in Israel to monitor the results of the ceasefire, and Trump said further conversations about the territory’s next steps are already underway.
Under the U.S.-brokered plan, an international body will govern Gaza and oversee Palestinian officials for day-to-day happenings. The plan also mentioned a potential Palestinian state, a sticking point in previous negotiations.
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“Gaza’s reconstruction requires that it be demilitarized and that a new honest civilian police force must be allowed to create a safe condition for the people in Gaza,” Trump said Monday. “As I said earlier, I intend to be a partner in securing a better future.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained his previous stances on governance in Gaza and the demilitarization of Hamas.
NewsNation’s Marcus Espinoza, Taylor Delandro and Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
