Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on hostages

Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on hostages

GAZA CITY
Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on hostages

An unending stream of people marched up the coast of Gaza on Jan. 27, carrying their belongings in plastic bags and repurposed flour sacks through the central city of Nuseirat after Israel reopened access to the territory's north.

 

Thousands walked up the main coastal road, while hundreds more moved along the nearby beach on the shore of the eastern Mediterranean.

 

Israel had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, until the release of Arbel Yehud, a civilian woman hostage who it maintained should have been freed on Jan. 25.

But Netanyahu's office later said a deal had been reached for the release of three hostages on Jan. 30, including Yehud, as well as another three on Feb. 1.

 

Starting at 7 a.m., Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection via a coastal road passing through part of the so-called Netzarim corridor, a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war.

 

A checkpoint for vehicles opened later on Gaza's main north-south highway, where traffic was backed up for around 3 kilometers.

 

"This day feels like a holiday," Shadi Adas said, describing hundreds of people chanting "God is greatest" and slogans associated with Eid al-Adha celebrations.

 

A Gaza security official told AFP that "more than 200,000 displaced people have returned to Gaza and North Gaza governorates in the first two hours.”

 

He said that authorities were still waiting for the green light to allow the displaced to cross in their vehicles via Salah al-Din road, Gaza's main passageway between the north and south.

Many who manage to return will be greeted by little more than rubble after months of bombing destroyed much of northern Gaza.

 

People in Gaza City and the north needed 135,000 tents and caravans, according to the authorities.

 

"The scale and extent of destruction caused by the occupation army in Gaza and North Gaza governorates have exceeded 90 percent," the office said.

 

The returns came after U.S. President Donald Trump floated an idea to "clean out" Gaza and resettle Palestinians in Jordan and Egypt, drawing condemnation from regional leaders.

 

Moving Gaza's roughly 2.4 million inhabitants could be done "temporarily or could be long term,” he said.