Gazans have urged for an immediate implementation of a ceasefire in the war-torn enclave as mediators said Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan paving way to a ceasefire.
Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV reported Thursday that the mediators in the Israel-Hamas talks said that an agreement covering all provisions and implementation mechanisms related to the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal has been reached and a final draft of the agreement is underway.
The deal is expected to lead to an end to the two-year-old war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, "with further details to be announced later," said the report.
The announcement came following three days of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypt's resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to negotiate the Trump-proposed peace plan.
Also on Thursday, Hamas confirmed that it has reached an agreement with other Palestinian factions to end the war in Gaza, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and carry out a prisoner exchange with Israel.
Prior to the announcement, residents in the Gaza Strip expressed their hope for a long-anticipated end to the destruction and a return to peace.
"Gaza has been destroyed. This time, we truly hope the war will end completely," said Jalal Al-Ajla, a resident of Gaza.
"We hope things will move toward a good direction and that peace will finally come," said Mahmoud Hamouda, another resident of Gaza.
"We hope everything will develop toward a good direction, and a solution is found that protects the people," said Abu Al-Amir Daoud, still another resident of Gaza.
Since Oct 7, 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 170,000 others, causing massive destruction to infrastructure and worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave, according to Gaza's health authorities.
Gazans call for immediate implementation of ceasefire deal
Gazans call for immediate implementation of ceasefire deal
Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) concluded on Sunday night.
Voting for the election began at 07:30 a.m. local time on Sunday. More than 600 polling stations were opened across Hong Kong, serving approximately 4.13 million registered voters.
Long queues had already formed outside multiple polling stations across Hong Kong before the polls opened. At polling station entrances, staff and volunteers attentively assisted voters with the procedures. Some voters posed for a photo holding a thank-you card given by staff after casting their ballot.
"As a Hong Kong citizen, I think it's my responsibility to vote, and I don't want to give up my rights. That's why I come here to support," a voter said.
"We actually flew in from Thailand. Learning today is a special day to vote, we actually canceled all our appointments and canceled everything, and we flew in with the whole family just to be part of Hong Kong and to vote, and to cast our vote and be part of the community," said another voter.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee cast his ballot at around 08:30 a.m. at Raimondi College on Robinson Road. He said that the LegCo election is of great importance to Hong Kong's overall development and future reforms, and it also represents the expectations of Hong Kong society.
A number of voters said they look forward to the new term of the Legislative Council taking greater responsibility in advancing Hong Kong's economy, society, and public welfare.
"I think an area of focus I'd like to see is, one is the economy, and secondly is youth mobility and youth policies. I think youth are the future, and it's very important to get unity within the youth and also give us hope, right? The youth in general -- what can we do to, for us as youth, to partake in civil society and to show our responsibility, but also from the government, like, what kind of policy that can help us do that as well," said a young voter.
"I hope that there will be more fair education in the sense that even people from the poor family, they can actually receive good education in good schools," another voter said.
The new term of LegCo will be composed of 90 members, including 40 elected by the Election Committee, 30 elected by functional constituencies, and 20 elected by geographical constituencies through direct elections.
The eighth-term LegCo of the HKSAR will commence its four-year term on Jan 1, 2026.
Voting for 8th-term HKSAR LegCo election concludes
