Protesters shout slogans holding placards during a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Jan. 17, 2025, organized to show support for Palestinians following the announcement of a cease-fire and a hostage release agreement between Hamas and Israel. (Credit: Bay Ismoyo/ AFP)
Egyptian state media reported Friday that Egyptian, Qatari, U.S. and Israeli mediators reached an agreement on "all necessary measures" to implement the Gaza cease-fire agreement, pending final approval by the Israeli government.
Al-Qahera News, citing an informed Egyptian source, stated that technical discussions held Friday in Cairo concluded "on a positive note."
Negotiators agreed to establish a joint operations center in Cairo to "ensure effective coordination" and compliance with the truce's terms.
Pending the Israeli government’s final green light, the truce is expected to take effect Sunday, accompanied by the first exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners under the deal announced Wednesday, the source said.
Representatives from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel and the Palestinian territories will participate in the operations center, the source added.
During Friday’s talks, negotiators also agreed to facilitate the entry of 600 aid trucks per day as stipulated in the agreement, according to the source.
After more than 15 months of war, Israel’s security cabinet approved the cease-fire deal with Hamas on Friday, which was then submitted to the Israeli government for final approval.
Trucks are waiting on the Egyptian side of the border, where Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday called for the rapid, safe, and efficient distribution of humanitarian aid.
In announcing the truce, U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that it would "increase critical humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians."
Israeli strikes have killed more than 100 people since the agreement’s announcement Wednesday, according to Gaza health authorities.
The cease-fire is expected to take effect on the eve of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday in Washington.
The Gaza war began on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israeli soil.
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