Palestinians Start Returning to North Gaza as Deal Reached to Free Six Hostages
Palestinians have started returning to the north of Gaza after Israel confirmed that a deal had been reached for Hamas to release six hostages this week. This agreement comes as part of ongoing negotiations, with the hostages including Arbel Yehud, a civilian at the heart of a contentious issue.
Hamas released four soldiers on Saturday, but Arbel Yehud was not among them. Israel accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire agreement, which called for the release of Israeli civilians first in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Since the ceasefire began, seven hostages and just under 300 prisoners have been freed.
Footage from the region showed thousands of displaced Palestinians walking northward, having gathered at a military barrier that had blocked their movement two days earlier. The ceasefire and the hostage release deal, which came into effect on January 19, have resulted in two exchanges so far.
In the third exchange, Hamas is expected to release Yehud and two other hostages on Thursday, followed by three more on Saturday. Israel has agreed to allow Palestinians to move north starting Monday, with additional Palestinian prisoners set to be freed later in the week.
Under the ceasefire terms, Palestinians were originally scheduled to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor, a seven-kilometer strip controlled by Israel that separates north Gaza from the rest of the territory. Despite the plan, earlier images showed massive crowds waiting to pass.
“We’re sleeping in the streets,” Nireem Musabeh told the BBC at the checkpoint on Sunday. “We can’t go home, and every time we try, they shoot at us.” Musabeh had been displaced from her home in Shejaiya in southern Gaza.
Diab Shehbari shared that he had been at the checkpoint since 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Saturday, enduring a cold night with his children. “All night the kids were screaming because of the cold – we lit a fire and covered them,” he said.
Israel confirmed that it would allow residents to return to northern Gaza at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Monday, with vehicles allowed two hours later, after resolving the dispute regarding Yehud. Mediators from Qatar and Egypt, who have facilitated talks between Israel and Hamas, were involved in ending the disagreement.
Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump suggested that Egypt and Jordan should accept Palestinians from Gaza, which he described as a “demolition site.” Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, along with Jordan and Egypt, rejected the proposal.
The ceasefire deal, which halted the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has been a significant development. Over 47,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s offensive, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
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