Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor, a military zone that previously divided the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
Following the pullout, hundreds of Palestinians—traveling in cars and carts loaded with mattresses and other belongings—began making their way back to northern Gaza, only to find widespread devastation.
The withdrawal aligns with the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement reached on January 19, under which 16 Israeli hostages and 566 Palestinian prisoners have been released so far.
By the end of the ceasefire’s first stage, set to conclude in three weeks, a total of 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners are expected to be freed. Israel has stated that eight of these hostages are deceased.
Hamas took 251 hostages and killed approximately 1,200 people during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, igniting the Gaza war.
Israel’s military offensive has since killed at least 48,189 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The UN reports that about two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
On Sunday, large crowds of Palestinians crossed the Netzarim Corridor, many heading north to assess the condition of their abandoned homes.
“What we saw was a catastrophe, horrific destruction. The [Israeli] occupation destroyed all the homes, shops, farms, mosques, universities, and the courthouse,” said Osama Abu Kamil, a resident of al-Maghraqa, just north of Netzarim, in an interview with AFP.
The 57-year-old, who had been displaced for over a year and forced to live in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said he now planned to “set up a tent for me and my family next to the rubble of our house.” “We have no choice,” he added.
Mahmoud al-Sarhi, another displaced Palestinian, told AFP that crossing the Netzarim Corridor had previously felt like a death sentence.
“This is the first time I have seen our destroyed house,” he said, referring to his home in the Zeitun area. “The entire area is in ruins. I cannot live here,” he added.
At the war’s outset, around 700,000 residents of northern Gaza fled south after the Israeli military issued mass evacuation orders ahead of its ground invasion.
Many were later forced to relocate multiple times as Israeli forces advanced into southern Gaza. They were also blocked from returning to their homes due to the Netzarim Corridor, which ran from the Gaza-Israel border to the Mediterranean Sea.
Israeli Troops Withdraw From Gaza Area (Photo: AP)A partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the western section of the corridor last month allowed the first Palestinians—on foot—to cross into northern Gaza via the coastal Rashid Street.
Those traveling by vehicle must use Salah al-Din Street and undergo security screening by U.S. and Egyptian contractors.
The Israel Defense Forces have not officially commented on Sunday’s withdrawal from the eastern part of the corridor, which means Israel will continue controlling Gaza’s borders but not the road that previously split the territory in two.
According to Haaretz, Gaza’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry has urged residents to “exercise caution and adhere to the existing movement guidelines for their safety.”
The troop withdrawal coincides with an expected visit by an Israeli delegation to Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli officials have said that the delegation will initially focus on “technical matters” related to the first phase of the ceasefire deal, rather than the more complex second phase.
The latter is meant to establish a permanent ceasefire, facilitate the release of all remaining living hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and result in a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Further direction on this matter is expected from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently became the first foreign leader to meet U.S. President Donald Trump since his return to the White House.
During the meeting, Trump unveiled a dramatic shift in U.S. policy on Gaza, calling for the removal of the territory’s entire civilian population and its transformation into what he described as “The Riviera of the Middle East.”
Upon returning to Israel, Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal during his first cabinet meeting, saying the U.S. president had introduced “a completely different vision, much better for the State of Israel.”
“A revolutionary, creative vision—and we are discussing it,” Netanyahu said, according to an official readout of the meeting. “He [Trump] is very determined to carry it out. It also opens up many possibilities for us.”
Trump’s proposal, which would violate international law, has been widely condemned—including by Arab states.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry stated that it would reject “any infringement on the Palestinians’ unalienable rights and any attempts at displacement,” accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing.”
Egypt has also denounced any plans to forcibly remove Gaza’s population and has called for an emergency Arab League summit on February 27 to discuss what it described as “serious Palestinian developments.”