Palestinians stream back to northern Gaza after Israel lifts closure
Thousands of Palestinians are streaming back into the northern Gaza Strip on Monday after Israel lifted its closure as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
Starting at 7 a.m. local time, Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection via a coastal road passing through part of a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war. A checkpoint for vehicles opened later on Gaza's main north-south highway, where traffic was backed up for around two miles.
"The transfer of militants or weapons via these routes to the northern Gaza Strip will be considered a breach of the agreement. Do not cooperate with any terrorist entity that may try to exploit you to transfer weapons or prohibited materials," Israel’s military warned in a statement, according to Reuters.
Hamas is calling the return "a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans," according to The Associated Press.
ISRAEL, HAMAS REACH DEAL TO ALLOW PALESTINIANS TO RETURN TO NORTHERN GAZA
Yasmin Abu Amshah, a mother of three, told the AP that she walked about four miles to reach her damaged but still habitable home in Gaza City, where she also saw her younger sister for the first time in more than a year.
"It was a long trip, but a happy one," she said. "The most important thing is that we returned."
Around a million people fled to southern Gaza in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction of the war. In all, around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, the news agency says.
Israel had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. Israel said she should have been released before four young female soldiers, who were freed on Saturday.
Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing.
The gulf nation of Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, then announced early Monday that an agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages.
Hamas also handed over a list of information about the hostages to be released in the ceasefire’s six-week first phase.
Under that phase, Hamas is to free a total of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. So far under the truce, the terrorist organization has released seven hostages in exchange for more than 300 prisoners. Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir were expected to be released over the weekend, but that did not happen. Shiri's husband, Yarden Bibas, is also among the hostages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.