More than 40 dead in several attacks after the announcement of a ceasefire, according to Gaza authorities

The complex ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, had been formalized this Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the United States and 15 months of war that devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.

The agreement provides for a initial six-week ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of people have died. Hamas hostages will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

On Thursday, Gaza militants fired a rocket into Israel, the Israeli military said, without causing any casualties.

At a press conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the ceasefire would come into force this Sunday. Negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas to formalize the agreement’s measures.

“This agreement will stop the fighting in Gaza, provide much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months of captivity,” US President Joe Biden declared in Washington.

For his part, Donald Trump, who will take office this Monday, takes credit for this agreement in Gaza.

Israel’s acceptance of the agreement will not be official until it is approved by the country’s security cabinet and government, with votes scheduled for this Thursday, an Israeli official has said.

The deal was expected to win approval despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.

Significant progress was made in the negotiations once the Biden and Trump administrations began working side by side to defend the urgency, the outgoing US ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, told Reuters. On the other hand, the Israeli army has stated that Gaza militants fired a rocket into Israel this Thursday, without causing any casualties.