Israel army says preparing to pull back troops in Gaza as part of deal

The Israeli military said Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal to free the remaining hostages.

"The IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement. As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon," the military said in a statement.

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Israeli hostages may be released as early as Saturday and the country's military will complete the first part of a partial withdrawal from the enclave within 24 hours of the deal being signed, said a source briefed on details of the agreement.

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The signing of the agreement on the first stage of US President Donald Trump's initiative for Gaza is expected to take place at noon Israel time (0900 GMT) on Thursday.

Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced after Trump announced that a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of his plan to end a war in Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people and reshaped the Middle East.