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Hamas has announced the names of four captives expected to be released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The individuals—Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag—are set to return to Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The latest developments come as the Israeli military’s operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin enters its fourth day on Friday.
According to Palestinian health officials, 12 Palestinians have been killed and 40 others wounded since the operation began.
This marks the third major Israeli military raid in Jenin in less than two years.
The escalation has prompted warnings from France and Jordan, urging against further violence in the West Bank, which has seen a sharp rise in tensions since the onset of the war in Gaza.
We're closing this live blog on the latest developments in Gaza and the region.
We'll back tomorrow from 0800 GMT. Thanks for following.
Our live coverage from Gaza is closing for the evening. Here’s a summary of today’s major updates:
The United Nations has expressed grave concern over escalating Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Jenin and its refugee camp, now under assault for the fourth day.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq condemned Israel’s “war-like tactics” and excessive use of force, noting that 3,000 families have fled Jenin in the past two months, including hundreds in the past week alone.
Haq called on Israel to fulfil its legal obligation as an occupying power to protect Palestinian civilians, urging adherence to international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Despite these warnings, Israeli raids continue, leaving Palestinians besieged and vulnerable, with minimal international intervention to halt the violence.
US President Donald Trump's 90-day foreign aid pause applies to new and existing assistance, according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters on Friday, which also states that waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt.
Just hours after taking office on Monday, Trump ordered the pause in foreign development assistance pending assessments of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy.
But the scope of the order was not immediately known and it was unclear what funding could be cut given that the US Congress sets the federal US government budget.
More than 4,200 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip in the six days since a ceasefire began between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, the United Nations said, although there was a large drop in the number of loads delivered on Friday.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 339 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Friday, citing information from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement - the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
This compares with 630 on Sunday, 915 on Monday, 897 on Tuesday, 808 on Wednesday, and 653 on Thursday. The truce deal requires at least 600 truckloads of aid to enter Gaza each day of the initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of those trucks are supposed to go to Gaza's north, where experts have warned famine is imminent.
The Palestinian militant movement Hamas is expected to release four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.
The four soldiers - Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag - were all stationed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza, where Israel has been accused of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected 200 prisoners to be freed on Saturday as part of the exchange, including 120 serving life sentences and 80 prisoners with other lengthy sentences.
Saturday's exchange would be the second since the ceasefire began Sunday and Hamas handed over three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
UN chief Antonio Guterres called Friday for the "immediate and unconditional" release of all humanitarian staff held by Yemen's Huthis, saying the rebel group had detained seven United Nations workers.
The Iran-backed Huthis have held dozens of workers from the United Nations and other aid groups since the middle of last year, including 13 UN staff since last June.
"Their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable," Guterres said in a statement, adding that the "continued targeting of UN personnel and its partners negatively impacts our ability to assist millions of people in need in Yemen."
"The United Nations will continue to work through all possible channels to secure the safe and immediate release of those arbitrarily detained," the secretary-general said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed in principle this week to take responsibility for Gaza’s post-war management, according to reports in Israeli media.
The reports indicate that the UAE will oversee the reconstruction of the enclave and will neutralise any "potential threats" to Israel.
The UAE also asserted that the next move must come "from Palestinians", rather than being initiated by Israel.
Israel's strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, hinted in the Knesset this week that American or international involvement could accelerate plans for post-war Gaza.
Israeli forces launched a drone strike on a house in Meithalun, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
Troops stormed the town, surrounding the targeted home, as fighting broke out with Palestinian resistance fighters. According to Wafa news agency, the Israeli army also struck a nearby site.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that medics were unable to reach the wounded due to Israeli roadblocks, leaving injured civilians without critical medical assistance.
The issue of prominent Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails nearly derailed the negotiations in the final moments before reaching a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on 19 January 2025.
At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, with no evidence, in a statement issued by his office on 16 January that Hamas was "backtracking on parts" of the ceasefire agreement, but Hamas quickly denied and affirmed its commitment to the agreement.
When Hamas led an attack on Israeli military bases and civilian settlements on 7 October 2023, and managed to capture 250 Israeli military figures and civilians, the Islamist movement sought to pressure Israel to release all the thousands of Palestinian prisoners, most notably Palestinian leaders such as Marwan Barghouti, a prominent figure in the Fatah movement.
Breaking | Israeli occupation drones target a vehicle in the town of Meithalun in Jenin, resulting in multiple casualties. pic.twitter.com/5Q88ywoI7k
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 24, 2025
Israel has ordered the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to shut down its operations in Jerusalem and vacate all premises by 30 January, according to a letter sent by Israel’s envoy to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday.
This directive follows a controversial Israeli law banning UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 339 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday, the sixth day of a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas.
OCHA cited information received from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement - the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
The White House has called for an urgent extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire after Israeli forces announced they would not meet Sunday’s deadline to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the Trump administration’s National Security Council, said Friday that President Trump is committed to ensuring Israeli citizens return safely to their homes in northern Israel while supporting President Aoun and Lebanon’s new government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to keep troops in southern Lebanon beyond the agreed timeframe has sparked fears of renewed conflict.
Two senior Hamas members, whom Israel said it had killed months ago, were buried in Gaza on Friday after their remains were discovered under rubble during the truce.
Hundreds of people attended the funerals of Rauhi Mushtaha and Sami Mohammad Odeh during Friday prayers in the courtyard of the Omari mosque, a historic landmark in the heart of Gaza City that has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombing.
The bodies, draped in the green flag of Hamas, were carried on stretchers from the mosque to their burial site, accompanied by around 16 masked members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group.
The Israeli army announced in early October that it had "eliminated" Mushtaha and Odeh along with another Hamas leader "about three months earlier" during an air strike in the Gaza Strip.
Israel will not withdraw its forces from parts of southern Lebanon after the ceasefire deadline ends this Sunday, the Israeli premier's office announced Friday, with warnings that Israel was ready to hit Hezbollah hard again.
The military withdrawal from southern Lebanon will continue beyond the 60-day period that was defined in the ceasefire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, and Israel's Kan broadcaster reported the army has been ordered to remain in the eastern part of south Lebanon, adjacent to the Galilee Panhandle.
"Our withdrawal from southern Lebanon is conditional on the deployment of the Lebanese army and the withdrawal of Hezbollah beyond the Litani [River]," said Netanyahu's office.
The Lebanese army has moved into the southern towns of Sheheen and Al-Jbeen after Israeli forces withdrew from the area.
Despite the ongoing truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that Israel would not fully withdraw from Lebanese territory by the end of the agreed 60-day period.
The agreement, signed by Israel and Lebanon, brought an end to over a year of border clashes and two months of intense conflict on 27 November.
Under the deal, Israel was to pull out from southern Lebanon within 60 days, while Hezbollah was to retreat north of the Litani River, allowing the Lebanese army to take over positions in vacated areas.
Hamas has denounced the US decision to label Yemen's Houthi movement as a "foreign terrorist organisation," calling it a politically driven act of reprisal.
In a statement, the Palestinian group accused Washington of enabling Israeli aggression while punishing those who resist oppression.
It urged the US to reverse the "unjustified" designation and end its support for Israeli occupation and military actions.
An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians after forces targeted a vehicle in Qabatiya, near Jenin.
דיווחים פלסטיניים: כלי רכב הותקף מהאוויר בקבאטיה שבאזור ג'נין
— הארץ חדשות (@haaretznewsvid) January 24, 2025
(שימוש לפי סעיף 27א' לחוק זכויות יוצרים) pic.twitter.com/9m1T0nvaNB
The Palestinian Detainees’ Commission announced that the Red Cross will start inspecting prisoners at Ofer Prison at 5:00 am (0300 GMT) on Saturday.
The release of the detainees is scheduled to occur between 10:00 am (0800 GMT) and 11:00 am.
The US Treasury Department has lifted sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and organisations linked to unrest in the occupied West Bank, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), responsible for managing US sanctions, confirmed that 17 individuals and 16 organisations have been removed from the sanctions list, with any previously blocked assets now unfrozen.
The sanctions, originally imposed under an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in February 2024, targeted settlers involved in escalating violence, often with state backing.
Family members of Israeli captives held in Gaza blocked Ayalon Road in central Tel Aviv, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fully implement the exchange deal and end the war.
Protesters burned dining tables to express anger, urging Netanyahu not to bow to far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's reported opposition to the second stage of the agreement.
Yemen's Houthi group said it will free dozens of prisoners on Saturday, calling the move a "unilateral humanitarian initiative," Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthi-run prisoner affairs committee, said on Friday.
Israeli officials have claimed that the list of captives submitted by Hamas does not comply with the terms of the previously agreed ceasefire agreement.
Senior Israeli officials are reportedly holding consultations on how to respond to the Hamas list, according to The Times of Israel.
The agreement reportedly stipulated that Hamas would first release all female civilian hostages, followed by female soldiers, elderly hostages, and those seriously ill.
Israel's criticism comes after Hamas has announced the release of four female Israeli soldiers tomorrow.
Kurdish-led authorities who run a sprawling camp for Islamic State-linked prisoners in northeast Syria are preparing the first-ever return of detainees to Syrian areas, the camp director said, a move enabled by the fall of the Assad regime.
Al-Hol camp director Jihan Hanan said preparations were under way for the voluntary return of 66 families from the massive tent city, where the vast majority of inmates are women and children, to areas inside Syria.
She did not comment on whether the returns were being planned in coordination with Syria's new ruling authority, set up by the Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, after they ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2023.
Talks facilitated by the U.S. and France are under way to determine the future of the Kurdish-led force that controls northeast Syria.
The new Syrian ruling authority has said it would seek to assert control over the entirety of the country.
Packed with families linked to Islamic State after the extremist Sunni Muslim group's defeat in Syria in 2019, the al-Hol camp now has a population of around 40,000.
It is widely viewed as a breeding ground for extremism and a major security concern for regional states, chiefly neighbouring Iraq, where Islamic State at one point controlled about a third of the country.
Camp authorities, led by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, have long called on countries to repatriate citizens in the camp, which hosts thousands of foreigners.
Iraq has repatriated more than 10,000, according to Iraqi officials, but few Western states have shown interest in following suit.
Of those currently in the camp, nearly 16,000 are Syrians, Jihan said.
Returning detainees to Syria under Assad was seen as taboo, given US opposition to his rule and concerns about torture and killings in the Syrian government's notorious prison system.
The SDF also runs a jail at Hasakah in northern Syria that holds about 4,500 ISIS fighters, including many foreigners.
Hamas has announced the release of four Israeli female soldiers tomorrow as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The soldiers—Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Danielle Gilboa, and Naama Levy—are set to be exchanged for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
A list of the Palestinian prisoners to be released is expected to be made public by Israeli authorities soon.
The UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that around 50,000 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank could lose access to education once the Israeli ban on the organisation takes effect at the end of January.
Despite Israel's efforts to dismantle UNRWA, the agency stresses that it can only be replaced by a functioning Palestinian state.
#EducationDay#WestBank: around 50,000 children who go to UNRWA schools are at risk of losing their access to education.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 24, 2025
If the Israeli Parliament’s ban on UNRWA is implemented at the end of January, what will be the fate of these children?
The ban on UNRWA must not be… pic.twitter.com/HNKEWVwmJZ
Syria's new ruling administration has cancelled a contract with a Russian firm to manage and operate the country's Tartous port that was signed under former President Bashar al-Assad, according to three Syrian businessmen and media reports.
Syrian government spokespeople either said they could not confirm the reports, or did not respond to requests for comment.
Semi-official Syrian newspaper Al-Watan on Thursday quoted the head of Tartous customs, Riad Joudy, as saying that the investment contract had been annulled after the Russian firm, STG Stroytransgaz, failed to fulfil the terms of the 2019 deal, which included investments in infrastructure.
The report was confirmed by three Syrian businessmen, including one with work at Tartous port.
STG Stroytransgaz is a major construction company whose mandate was to invest and develop the commercial port, Syria's second-largest after Latakia.
The contract is separate from the Russian naval base in Tartous, built by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and part of a decades-old military agreement between Moscow and Damascus on the use of the Mediterranean port.
Russia and Syria's new ruling administration have said they are in talks over the future of Russia's military presence in Syria after rebels ousted Russia's ally Assad on Dec. 8, 2024.
Palestinian media outlets have shared videos of Israeli forces destroying structures in the Jenin refugee camp and surrounding areas during a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank.
One video shows a house engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising, reportedly after Israeli forces detonated explosives inside.
Other footage captures an Israeli bulldozer demolishing a building.
The operation marks a significant escalation in the region, sparking widespread condemnation.
◾صورة ..
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 24, 2025
الاحتلال الصهيوني يحرق منازل المواطنين في مخيم جنين pic.twitter.com/w3qlMOOa2H
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Friday from Damascus that his country was engaged in an active dialogue with Europe and the US to help lift economic sanctions imposed on Syria.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has mourned the death of Bilal Okal, its ninth colleague killed in Gaza since the war began.
Okal died in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia, northern Gaza, in December 2024, along with his wife, seven children, sister, and elderly mother.
"MSF strongly condemns the killing of Bilal and his family in their home by Israeli forces," the organisation stated on Friday.
"We can only imagine the terror they faced while trapped under siege and horrendous violence before they were killed."
Israeli forces have shot and injured a 65-year-old man during their ongoing raid in Jenin, occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.
Medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society evacuated the man to a nearby hospital, Wafa reported.
Israeli forces also demolished several homes near al-Asir Mosque as part of the raid, now in its fourth day.
The operation has so far left 12 people dead and dozens injured.
The Israeli army will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by a Monday deadline, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday, saying Lebanon has not yet fully enforced the ceasefire agreement.
The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.
Under the agreement, which came into effect on November 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani river and Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese military deploys into the region, all within a 60-day timeframe due to conclude on Monday at 4 a.m. (0200 GMT).
Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the Israeli military's withdrawal process was "contingent on the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani".
"Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States," the statement said.
There was no immediate comment from Lebanon or Hezbollah.
A senior Hamas official told AFP that his group will provide on Friday the names of four Israeli women hostages to be freed the following day as part of a second release under the ceasefire with Israel.
"Today, Hamas will provide the names of four hostages as part of the second prisoner exchange," said Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau based in Doha.
"Tomorrow, Saturday, the four women hostages will be released in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners, as agreed upon in the ceasefire deal."
Naim also said that once the exchange takes place, war-displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza will be able to begin returning to the north of the territory.
"An Egyptian-Qatari committee will oversee the implementation of this part of the agreement on the ground," he said.
"The displaced will return from the south to the north via Al-Rashid Road, as Israeli forces are expected to withdraw from there in accordance with the agreement."
The Israeli military has announced ongoing "sweeps" across southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah that mandates Israel to cease its occupation of the area.
According to the Israeli army, the operations aim to "remove threats while maintaining understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
However, the Lebanese government, Hezbollah, and the United Nations have all called for Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military reported the discovery and destruction of several underground Hezbollah bunkers over the past week, along with a weapons cache and explosives found inside a mosque.
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets have suggested that the military plans to continue occupying parts of Lebanese territory and has communicated this intention to the new US administration.
Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday it will continue to reroute around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope until safe passage through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area is ensured for the longer term.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards conducted naval drills on Friday in the Gulf and strategic Strait of Hormuz as part of a series of nationwide military exercises, state media reported.
The drills -- which state TV showed featured fast boats, shore-to-sea missiles and surface-to-surface missiles -- are part of a string of exercises, dubbed Eqtedar or "might" in Farsi, that began in early January and are set to continue until mid-March.
Iran's army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been taking part.
"The message of this exercise is peace and friendship for neighbouring countries and that we are capable of creating the security of this strategically sensitive region ourselves," the IRGC's naval commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri told state TV.
Three strategic islands -- Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa -- are located in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes.
They have been a source of contention between the United Arab Emirates and Iran for decades.
Tangsiri added that the exercises are held to "confront any invasion by extra-regional forces and if the enemy wants to threaten the interests of our heroic nation in this region, it will definitely receive a very strong response".
In previous drills, the armed forces unveiled an advanced reconnaissance ship as well as conducted exercises on safeguarding Iran's nuclear facilities in the western and central parts of the country.
The military activities are taking place with Iran's nuclear programme under close watch as US President Donald Trump returns to the White House.
In his first term, Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and ordered the killing of veteran Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in neighbouring Iraq.
International Criminal Court should prosecute America and Israel, not the Taliban, said Afghanistan's deputy interior minister, Mohammad Nabi Omari.
"If these were fair and true courts, they should have brought America to the court, because it is America that has caused wars," he said at an event in Khost city, adding that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should also be brought before the court.
The United Nations voiced serious concerns Friday over the Israeli military's use of force in its raid this week in the West Bank, including methods "developed for war fighting".
"We are deeply concerned by the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. The deadly Israeli operations in recent days raise serious concerns about unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including methods and means developed for war fighting, in violation of international human rights law, norms and standards applicable to law enforcement operations," UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told a media briefing in Geneva.
The legislative arm of the Arab League has issued a strong condemnation of what it described as the "dangerous escalation of crimes" committed by the Israeli army and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a statement, the body denounced the recent assault on Jenin and its refugee camp, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of civilians, labelling it as "brutal."
The parliament warned that such military actions risk undermining "all efforts aimed at peace, a ceasefire, and ending the war."
A small military craft approached a vessel 86 nautical miles northeast of Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, and is urging the vessel to turn to Iranian territorial waters, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an advisory note on Friday.
Israeli forces raided the town of Qabatiya, north of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, early Friday morning, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Local sources reported that military vehicles surrounded a home, ordering the family to evacuate.
A military helicopter broadcasted messages through loudspeakers, demanding that a young man inside the house surrender, Al Jazeera stated.
As the standoff escalated, Israeli forces launched rocket-propelled shells at the residence.
Clashes erupted between Israeli troops and local residents during the raid, intensifying tensions in the area.
The Al Jazeera Media Network has issued a strong condemnation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) following the arrest of its West Bank correspondent, Mohamad al-Atrash.
Al-Atrash was detained after Palestinian security forces raided his home.
In a statement, Al Jazeera criticised the arrest, linking it to Atrash's prior ban from covering the ongoing Israeli military operation in Jenin. The network described the move as "an attempt to block media coverage of the occupation's attack on Jenin."
The network accused the PA of deliberately targeting its journalists, demanded Atrash’s immediate release, and held the PA "fully responsible for the safety and security of all its staff in the West Bank."
This development follows the PA’s earlier suspension of Al Jazeera’s operations in the occupied West Bank, citing alleged violations of Palestinian laws and accusing the channel of "incitement" and "misinformation."
Israeli forces have detained at least 16 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank since dawn, according to the Wafa news agency.
These raids come amid ongoing tensions and increased Israeli military activity in the region.
Funding shortages may affect the UN's ability to maintain aid flows at target levels throughout the Gaza ceasefire deal, a UN official told news agency Reuters.
Muhannad Hadi, Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, told Reuters late on Thursday he was "very happy" with how the first few days had gone, but flagged funding as a concern.
"Funding is an issue. We need immediate funding to make sure that we continue providing the aid for the 42 days, but also after the 42 days, because we're hopeful that we'll go from phase one to phase two," he said, after returning from Gaza earlier this week.
The UN is seeking $4.1 billion for the occupied Palestinian territories this year, with nearly 90% set to go to Gaza. It is currently 3.6% funded.
Asked how the UN had managed to ramp up supplies so quickly, he cited an improvement in security for aid convoys, saying he saw local police everywhere during his visit. "The looting has reduced drastically," he said.
One of the remaining challenges for aid workers is the difficulty of moving food and supplies through the damaged streets of Gaza with many thousands of Palestinians on the move.
He said this could get worse from the weekend when many thousands of people are expected to be allowed to return to northern Gaza, under the terms of the ceasefire deal.