Almost 16 months after being forced to flee at the start of Israel’s military rude, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians were marching toward their houses in northern Gaza on Monday. A group of people that spanned for km marched north along the coastal road in Gaza, many of whom carried their few items on their faces, in wooden carts, and in plastic bags slung over their tails.
Over 200, 000 people were reportedly seen moving northwest in Gaza on Monday night only, according to the UN.
After it appeared to wane over the weekend, the peace between Israel and Hamas remained in place, but it was unclear what the displaced Gazans would remain returning to. After the Israeli army toppled entire towns and Hamas booby-trapped several properties, they encountered a desert of wreckage as they began arriving in Gaza City, in the northwest of the country.
After Israel ordered around a million people to flee north Gaza in October 2023 before its military war, many of those who were returning had spent the war hiding in houses. On Monday, some used bikes, scooters and wheelchairs to have their items. A plastic container became a wooden buggy for a baby when a man attached wheels to it. Yasmin Abu Amshah, a mother of three, said she walked 6 miles to reach her residence in Gaza City, where she found it damaged but also viable. ” It was a long vacation, but a joyful one”, she said. ” The most important thing is that we returned”.
On Saturday, Hamas released four sexual Jewish warriors who had been taken prisoner on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel, in turn, handed over 200 Arab prisoners. But on Sunday, their week-old peace appeared to relent. Israel threatened to postpone the return of internally displaced people to north Gaza in accordance with the peace deal, partly because Hamas had rejected a discharge of Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud, who had been taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.
After days of anxious discussions, the two sides reached a new deal late Sunday under which Hamas did palm over Yehud, along with other victims, by the end of the week. In exchange, Israeli forces began allowing displaced Palestinians to move north on Monday, opening southern route to people on foot and a second, interior path to cars, which were subject to examination.
Israel claimed to have received a list of data from Hamas regarding victims ‘ current or former status. Hamas claimed that of the 33 people who were released in the first step, eight are dying and the other 25 are still alive, according to spokesman for the government, David Mencer. In Gaza, there are still roughly 90 victims.
