Israel has withdrawn its troops from the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from southern Gaza. Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces on Sunday, thousands of Palestinians have begun returning to northern Gaza in vehicles, carrying their belongings.
According to the British news outlet BBC, Israeli troops were withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor as part of the ceasefire agreement signed between Hamas and Israel on January 19. Under this agreement, 21 Israelis and 566 Palestinians have been released so far.
At the end of the first phase of the three-week ceasefire agreement, it is expected that 33 Israeli hostages and 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released. Israel has stated that at least eight of the 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas have been killed.
In October 2023, hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrated northern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza. Following this attack, Israel launched its military operation in Gaza on the same day.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli attacks over the past 15 months have killed 48,189 Palestinians and injured thousands more. The United Nations has reported that two-thirds of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged due to Israeli attacks.
At the beginning of the war, nearly 700,000 residents of northern Gaza fled to southern Gaza under heavy Israeli bombardment. The Israeli military had ordered residents to evacuate before launching a ground invasion. However, Israel later expanded its operations to southern Gaza, forcing displaced Palestinians to relocate multiple times.
The Netzarim Corridor, stretching from the Gaza-Israel border to the Mediterranean Sea, had been a major obstacle preventing Palestinians from returning to their homes. Due to the active presence of Israeli military forces in the corridor, residents were unable to return home.
The Israel Defense Forces have not officially commented on Sunday’s troop withdrawal from the eastern part of the corridor. The BBC reported that withdrawing troops from this area could lead to a loss of control over the Gaza border for Israeli forces.