As it preps for start of ceasefire, IDF says ready for ‘immediate’ return to fighting
Forces to redeploy to agreed-upon areas overnight, Gazans warned not to approach them; IDF chief: We still have a lot more to do. We won’t allow Hamas to recover or be in control.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday that it had made all necessary preparations for the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, which was set to start at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The military also said it was on heightened alert for various scenarios that could occur as the ceasefire takes effect and was prepared to “immediately” return to fighting if the truce falls apart at any time.
In a statement, the IDF said it had begun to “implement the operational procedures” that the agreement dictates, referring to the withdrawal of IDF troops from populated areas within Gaza to certain agreed-upon zones.
Overnight, Southern Command will work to redeploy troops inside the Gaza Strip, withdrawing from urban areas and positioning them on lines that were agreed upon between Israel and Hamas. Large numbers of forces will be moving around during the night and the morning hours, the IDF said.
In the hours before the ceasefire takes effect at 8:30 a.m., the IDF said it would continue to carry out strikes and destroy infrastructure used by Hamas in Gaza.
The military added that Southern Command was also bolstering troops and air defenses along the border with Gaza, and preparing to respond to incidents if required, assessing that there could be rocket fire from Gaza ahead of the ceasefire or even after it takes effect.
The IDF made no changes to Home Front Command guidelines for civilians.

If the ceasefire deal falls apart, or if the second stage is not implemented at the end of the 42 days, the IDF said it was ready to “immediately” return to fighting, according to what is decided by Israeli leaders.
‘The work doesn’t end here’
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, in a video statement released Saturday night, said the military’s intensive fighting against Hamas had been key to enabling the release of the hostages in the upcoming ceasefire agreement.
“For more than a year and three months, the IDF has been fighting Hamas and has made important achievements – we have defeated Hamas’s military wing and eliminated the organization’s chain of command and its leader, Yahya Sinwar,” Halevi said following a visit to northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun.
“The work doesn’t end here. We still have a lot more to do. We will do this with great strength and determination. The IDF’s powerful fighting has created the conditions necessary to achieve the critical objective before us today: returning the hostages to their homeland and their families,” he said, adding that the fighting “comes at a heavy cost.”
“At this time, alongside the excitement and anticipation [for the hostages’ return], we in the IDF are committed to all the hostages and their families – soldiers and civilians alike. We will not stop or rest until they all return,” said Halevi, and added that the IDF and Shin Bet’s activities in Gaza “have been decisive in creating the conditions for the agreement that was reached.”

“In the coming days, the IDF will prepare for a reinforced defensive posture along the Gaza Strip border, a scheme that was pre-planned and incorporates defensive as well as offensive components,” Halevi says.
“As part of the promise between the IDF and Israeli society, which we failed to uphold on October 7, we are determined to stand firm and ensure that such a grave, cruel, and horrific event will never happen again,” he continued. “Hamas has been severely weakened, and we will not allow it to recover, or allow it to be in control. The level of security today is significantly better than it was on October 7 and before it.
“Despite the initial failure, in this war the IDF planned, implemented, and achieved many accomplishments. The Middle East is undergoing changes, our map of threats has completely changed, new opportunities have opened up, and we are preparing for new challenges. Throughout this journey, we have been determined to achieve the objectives of the war – and we will continue to,” Halevi said.
“My thoughts today are with the families of the hostages whose return dates have not yet been set and with the families awaiting the return of their loved ones soon. The IDF stands with you,” he concluded.
A warning before the ceasefire
The army also published a warning to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip not to approach areas where the military will be deployed at the start of the ceasefire.
“According to the agreement, IDF troops will remain deployed in specific areas in the Gaza Strip. Do not approach IDF troops in the area until further notice. Approaching the forces exposes you to danger,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a post on X.
“Movement from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip or toward the Netzarim Corridor remains dangerous in light of IDF activity in the area. Once such movement is permitted, a statement and instructions will be issued regarding safe methods of movement. Residents are warned against approaching IDF troops in general and in the Netzarim Corridor area in particular,” Adraee added.
Under the agreement, on the seventh day of the ceasefire, Gazans will be allowed to return on foot to northern Gaza while unarmed, without any inspection, via the coastal road. Vehicles will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, but they will be required to undergo an inspection by a private company to be determined by the mediators and Israel.
On day 22, displaced unarmed Palestinians will be allowed to return to north Gaza on foot via the central Salah a-Din road, also without inspection.
#عاجل ‼️ بيان عاجل إلى سكان قطاع غزة بخصوص دخول اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار حيز التنفيذ صباح غدًّا في تمام الساعة 08:30.
⭕️أود توضيح الأمور التالية لتفادي الاحتكاكات وسوء الفهم. نحن في جيش الدفاع ننوي التاكد من تطبيق كافة تفاصيل الاتفاق.
⭕️بناء على الاتفاق تبقى قوات جيش الدفاع… pic.twitter.com/iF9jDzbA4g
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 18, 2025
Adraee also warned Palestinians against approaching the Rafah Crossing on the Egypt border and the Philadelphi Corridor area, where troops will remain deployed during the entire first stage of the ceasefire.
“In the maritime area, along the entire Strip, there is a great risk in fishing, swimming and diving, and we warn against entering the sea in the coming days,” he said.
“It is forbidden to approach Israeli territory and the buffer zone. Approaching the buffer zone is extremely dangerous,” Adraee added, referring to a zone along the entire border with Israel where troops will be deployed.

The ceasefire agreement, which was approved by Israel’s government on Friday night, will bring a halt to the 15-month-long war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which began when Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 hostages during their October 7, 2023, onslaught.
It is believed that 94 of the hostages abducted during the Hamas onslaught remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.