In the largest city in terms of population in the Gaza Strip, the Internet and mobile phone connections have been cut off, RIA Novosti reports, referring to the Hamas-affiliated Quds portal.
A cease-fire between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement came into effect on October 10 as part of the first phase of a peace plan for the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has begun a gradual withdrawal of troops from the enclave along agreed lines. On October 13, US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, acting as mediators between the conflicting parties, signed an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Hamas handed over to Israel the remaining 20 hostages held alive in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Israel also released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners.
