The Hamas government in Gaza reported that “more than 300,000 displaced” Palestinians have returned to the northern part of the territory after Israel’s military permitted the returns starting this morning.
According to a brief statement from the press office of the Hamas government, the crowds “returned today… to the governorates of the north” in Gaza.
This return, which was postponed over the weekend, proceeded after Hamas agreed to release three Israeli hostages later this week, and Israeli forces began to pull back from a major corridor across the enclave in accordance with a ceasefire agreement amidst the ongoing 15-month conflict.
In Israel, families of the hostages anxiously awaited updates on their loved ones’ conditions.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians made their way back to their homes in northern Gaza via Al-Rashid Street along the coastal strip.
“It’s as if I have been reborn and we have triumphed again,” stated a Palestinian mother, Umm Mohammed Ali, part of the lengthy crowd slowly traversing the coastal route.
Eyewitnesses reported that the first residents reached Gaza City early in the morning after the foremost crossing point in central Gaza opened at 5 am Irish time. Another crossing was made available roughly three hours later, allowing vehicles to enter.
“My heart is racing; I thought I’d never return,” said Osama, 50, a public servant and father of five, upon his arrival in Gaza City.
“Regardless of whether the ceasefire holds or fails, we will never leave Gaza City and the north again. Even if Israel sent a tank for each of us, there will be no more displacement.”
We need your consent to load this comcast-player content. We use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences
Having faced repeated displacements throughout the 15 months of conflict, there were jubilant cheers at shelters and tent camps when families learned that the crossings would open.
“I haven’t slept; I have everything packed and ready to go at the first light,” said Ghada, a mother of five.
She added, “At least we are going back home. Now I can say that the war is over, and I hope it remains calm.”
Children, dressed in warm jackets and carrying backpacks, walked hand in hand while men assisted the elderly in wheelchairs. Families stopped to take photos as Hamas-hired officials in red vests directed them along the route.
Displaced Gazans cross the Netzarim corridor from the south today.
Two armed members of the Al-Qassam Brigades oversaw the movement of returning Palestinians.
Gaza lies in ruins, facing significant destruction.
Approximately 650,000 Palestinians were displaced from northern Gaza during the conflict, which began following Hamas’ assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli reports.
Since then, more than 47,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Israeli offensive on Gaza, as reported by the Gaza health ministry.
Many of those displaced have undergone several relocations as Israel identified portions of Gaza as humanitarian zones, only to later evacuate them before subsequent bombing campaigns and ground operations.
Much of Gaza now lies devastated. The media office of the Hamas-run Gaza government stated that returnees to the north require at least 135,000 tents and shelters as they attempt to rebuild their lives amid the debris of their former homes.
Palestinians are being allowed to return home in the north following a new agreement.
A renewed sense of optimism
As per the terms of the ceasefire agreement, residents of northern Gaza were set to return over the weekend.
However, Israel claimed that Hamas had violated the agreement by not releasing civilian female hostage Arbel Yehud and maintaining their forces in the Netzarim corridor that traverses the territory south of Gaza City.
Last night, mediators from Qatar resolved the disagreement after Hamas consented to release Ms. Yehud, along with female soldier Agam Berger and another hostage on Thursday—two days before the scheduled release of three additional hostages on Saturday.
Following this, Israel authorized the return to northern Gaza from this morning.
Hamas has also provided a list detailing all hostages to be released during the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, along with their conditions.
A Hamas official announced that the group submitted to mediators a list indicating that 25 of the 33 hostages scheduled for release in the initial phase are alive. This figure includes the seven hostages released since the truce began on January 19.
Israel has verified this number, confirming that 25 are alive, but eight have been killed by Hamas, according to an Israeli government spokesperson.
The identities of those who are deceased and those who are alive remain unverified, leaving families in a fluctuating state of hope and anxiety.
Israeli authorities have previously expressed serious concerns over the welfare of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, aged four years and ten months, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Her sister-in-law, Ofri Bibas, stated that the last few weeks have been torturous for the family, noting that Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, is also a hostage in Gaza but was taken separately.
People gather by a welcoming banner near the remains of a collapsed building along Gaza’s coastal Al-Rashid Street.
“We are awaiting news amid a sea of rumors,” Ofri Bibas relayed to Israel’s Public Broadcaster Kan. “We have no certainty and continue to hold onto hope, hoping to see them together with Yarden.”
Hamas officials and ordinary Gazans have dismissed a suggestion from US President Donald Trump that Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from the war-torn enclave, reviving long-standing Palestinian fears about permanent displacement.
Critics of Mr. Trump’s remarks have characterized this as “ethnic cleansing.”
According to the ceasefire agreement, only unarmed individuals will be permitted to return north. Israel’s military has cautioned Gazans against bringing weapons with them or approaching Israeli troops under any circumstances.
Returning residents indicated that Egyptian security personnel oversaw the return of Palestinians in vehicles along Salahuddin Road, the primary route running north to south, with Hamas police officers stationed nearby.
“At the Netzarim junction, young Egyptian troops are managing the car X-ray machines and interacting with returnees warmly… the entire process took just a few minutes,” remarked Mustafa Ibrahim.
A private US security firm will also be involved in the screening process, as stated by an Israeli government spokesperson.
Read more: Palestinians criticize Trump plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza. Tearful reunions as Hamas and Israel complete the second exchange.
We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences
