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Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - GAZA — Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians gathered to return home to northern Gaza for the first time since the war between Israel and Hamas began, following a ceasefire agreement between the pair.
Palestinians stood with their belongings by the Netzarim Corridor, preparing to make the journey by car and foot into northern Gaza which has largely been destroyed by 15 months of Israeli bombardment.
More than 1.5 million Palestinians have been displaced since the start of the war.
An agreement has been reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage held by Hamas and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement, Qatar, which together with Egypt and the United States mediated the Gaza ceasefire which came into effect on 19 January, said Hamas will hand over the civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two others before Friday.
Early on Monday, Palestinians began returning to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip. Images showed a long line of people walking along the coast towards the north, in accordance with the ceasefire.
Displaced Palestinians gather with their belongings near a roadblock as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, 26 January, 2025
The prime minister also confirmed that Palestinians could move north on Monday with the IDF saying people can start crossing on foot at 7am local time.
That comes after Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza until Arbel Yehoud was released by Hamas.
The Israelis said Yehoud should have been released by Hamas this week in the latest hostage and prisoner exchange.
A senior Hamas official said Yehoud would be released next week, but gave no reasons for the apparent delay.
Early on Saturday, hundreds of Palestinians had already begun gathering in central Wadi Gaza expecting to be able to cross back into the northern part of the Strip.
"I am excited to return to the north, to return to my destroyed home because there is no other option. If we don't return to the north, it is likely that our chances of remaining in the south will amount to displacement," Abdel Fattah Al-Wosari said on Sunday.
He was referring to comments made by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, who suggested neighbouring countries take in Palestinians to "clean out" Gaza.
Trump described Gaza as a "demolition site" and suggested moving Palestinians away from the Strip "could be temporary, could be long-term."
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority criticised that suggestion and it was rejected by Jordan and Egypt.
A statement by Egypt's foreign ministry said the "temporary or long-term" transfer of Palestinians "threatens stability, risks expanding the conflict in the region and undermines prospects of peace and coexistence among its people."
Egypt stressed its rejection of any violation of Palestinians' rights "whether through settlement or annexation of territories" or "encouraging the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land."
The statement, which didn't address Trump's comments directly, urged the international community to work toward "the practical implementation of the two-state solution" to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Hamas triggered the war in October 2023 with its cross-border attack into Israel that saw some 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken as hostages back to Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.
The UN said on Saturday that more than 13,000 children have been killed in the fighting.
The conflict has destabilised the Middle East and sparked global protests as well as highlighting political tensions inside Israel. — Euronews
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