Thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza on Monday morning following indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, marking a significant development in the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
The movement began at 7:00 local time along the coastal Ar-Rashid road through the western section of the Netzarim checkpoint towards Gaza City and the northern areas, according to a Hamas interior ministry official who spoke to AFP.
Hamas called the return a “victory” over Israel’s “occupation plans” and forced displacement, whilst Islamic Jihad described it as “an answer to those who dream of displacing our people”.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that ceasefire agreements must be implemented “strictly” in both Gaza and Lebanon.
“Anyone who violates the rules or threatens IDF forces will pay a high price. We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7”, he posted on X.
Former far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticised the development, calling the images of Palestinians returning to Gaza “victory images” for Hamas and “another humiliating part” of the ceasefire agreement.
The return follows Hamas’s agreement to release Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud and two others.
Television footage showed crowds moving northward, with eyewitnesses reporting the first residents reached Gaza City early Monday morning after crossing points opened at 7:00 local time, with another opening shortly after 9:00.
Under the Qatar and Egypt-mediated agreement, approximately 650,000 Palestinians sheltering in central and southern Gaza will be permitted to return to their homes in the northern region, much of which has been severely damaged during Israel’s 15-month air and ground operation.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.
Hamas captured about 250 hostages during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people according to Israeli figures.
The attack triggered the recent bloodshed in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Israeli military issued a statement allowing residents to return on foot via the coastal road at 7:00 and by vehicle along the eastern Salahuddin road at 9:00, warning them not to approach IDF positions.
The statement emphasised that transporting fighters or weapons would be considered a violation of the agreement.
The agreement had initially been delayed over the weekend when Israel accused Hamas of breaching the deal by not releasing civilian hostage Yehoud, keeping crossing points closed as thousands of Palestinians waited at checkpoints.
(with information from amna.gr)
