In Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the most heavily damaged areas of northern Gaza on Monday. This followed Israel’s lifting of its northern blockade, a first since the early stages of the 15-month conflict with Hamas, in accordance with a ceasefire agreement.
Large groups of people, carrying their belongings, walked along a coastal road, marking a dramatic reversal of the initial exodus from the north at the war’s outset, an event many Palestinians…
Palestinians who had sought refuge in temporary shelters and converted schools for over a year were eager to return home, despite…
Yasmin Abu Amshah, a mother of three, walked 6 kilometers to her damaged but livable home in Gaza City, reuniting with her younger sister after over a year’s separation.
“It was a long, but joyful journey,” she stated. “Our return is what matters most.”
Many viewed their return as a testament to their resilience following Israel’s military operation, launched in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. The return also countered U.S. proposals…
‘The joy of return’
Ismail Abu Matter, a father of four who waited three days near the crossing point before heading north with his family, described celebratory scenes – singing, praying, and tears of reunion.
“It’s the joy of returning,” said Abu Matter, whose relatives were among the hundreds of thousands displaced from what is now Israel during the 1948 war. “We thought, like our ancestors, we wouldn’t return.”
The opening was delayed for two days due to a disagreement between Hamas and Israel concerning the order of hostage releases. Mediators…
Hamas declared the return “a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans.”
The ceasefire aims to end the deadliest and most destructive war between Israel and Hamas, securing the release of hostages taken in the October 7th attack. Militants killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted another 250.
Israel’s response, an air and ground war, resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry doesn’t specify combatant numbers. Israel claims over 17,000 militants killed, without providing evidence.
Early in the war, Israel ordered the complete evacuation of the north and sealed it off after ground troops entered.
Around a million people fled south in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which experienced intense fighting. Overall, about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people were displaced.
Hostage dispute rattled week-old ceasefire
Israel delayed the crossing’s opening, scheduled for the weekend, stating that Palestinians wouldn’t be allowed north until the release of a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud. Israel insisted she should have been released before four young female soldiers, who were…
Israel also accused Hamas of failing to provide information on the status (alive or dead) of the remaining hostages in the first phase of the deal. Around 90 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israel believing about a third are dead.
Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing.
Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, announced early Monday an agreement to release Yehoud and two other hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the hostage release – including soldier Agam Berger – would occur on Thursday. Three more hostages are expected on Saturday, as previously planned.
Hamas also provided information on hostages to be released during the ceasefire’s six-week initial phase.
Starting at 7 a.m., Palestinians were permitted to cross on foot, without inspection, via a coastal road through…, a military zone south of Gaza City established by Israel early in the war. A vehicle checkpoint opened later on Gaza’s main north-south highway, causing a 3-kilometer traffic jam.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates vehicle inspections for weapons before entering the north, but the exact mechanism remained unclear.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Israel would enforce the ceasefire, and anyone violating it or threatening Israeli forces “will bear the full cost.”
“We won’t allow a return to the reality of October 7,” he posted on X.
A second and more difficult phase awaits
The first phase of the ceasefire involves Hamas releasing 33 hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Under the truce, militants have released seven hostages for over 300 prisoners, including many serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis.
The second, far more challenging, phase remains unnegotiated. Hamas says it won’t release the remaining 60 or so hostages unless Israel ends the war; Netanyahu remains committed to destroying the militant group and ending…
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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