Palestinians return to north Gaza after over a year, Hamas hails ‘victory’

In a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are now resettling north Gaza after 15 months of the genocide.

The Palestinians began making their way north on foot through the so-called Netzarim Corridor early on Monday, huddled together and carrying their belongings in plastic bags and sacks.

Starting at 7am (05:00 GMT) and Salah al-Din Street (07:00 GMT) on foot, the Israeli military announced earlier on Monday that they would permit Palestinians to cross al-Rashid Street and Salah al-Din Street (07:00 GMT) by car.

“I will start rebuilding my home – brick by brick, wall by wall”, a forcibly displaced Palestinian told Al Jazeera. “We’ll start by removing the trash and starting over.”

Hani Mahmoud, a journalist from Gaza, reported on the announcement by Israel of the timetables for people’s return home in the north, claiming there was a “sense of excitement and happiness picking up.”

“We saw a change in the mood of everyone. We have never seen people that happy in the past 15 months”, he said.

“People describe this moment as historic. They say it’s as important as the announcement of a ceasefire. For them, this is a victorious day”.

Hamas called the return “a victory” for Palestinians, while its ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said it was a “response to all those who dream of displacing our people”.

Palestinians returning to areas where they were forcibly displaced “prove their link to their land,” Hamas said in a statement. “Prove the failure of the occupation to achieve the aggressive goals of displacing people and breaking their steadfast will.”

Israel had forcibly evacuated 1.1 million people from north Gaza in preparation for a ground invasion in the first few days of the conflict.

According to medical sources, Israeli forces shot at the crowds several times on Sunday, killing at least two Palestinians, and prevented Palestinian civilians from approaching Netzarim Crossing.

After Qatar made it known that Hamas had agreed to release Arbel Yehud, a female Israeli prisoner, and two others by Friday, the march to the north culminated in a statement from Qatar. Qatar also provided details on the conditions of the prisoners who were scheduled to be freed on January 19 during the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Israel had delayed opening the Netzarim Corridor, originally scheduled over the weekend, over Yehud’s release.

Despite the Hamas accusing Israel of breaking the ceasefire, the organization informed media and provided all the necessary guarantees for her release.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar announced early on Monday that Hamas had agreed to let Yehud and two other captives go free.

A “Small promising sign”

Former Arab American Institute deputy director Omar Baddar expressed cautious optimism about the return of Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza.

“It is without a doubt that Israel wants to conquer north Gaza. According to Baddar, that is one of the reasons they have completely destroyed it and driven people out of the area.

“So, while this is a small promising sign that they are going to allow people to travel back to a region that has been completely devastated, they are allowing them to do so.” There is no indication that they will permit them to rebuild their homes there, he said.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza killed at least 47, 306 Palestinians and wounded 111, 483 since October 7, 2023. &nbsp, At least 1, 139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.

Palestinian residents in the area claim that as they dig out bodies from the rubble, the death toll from the 15 months of relentless Israeli air and ground assault may be much higher.

Source: Aljazeera