Tens of thousands return to devastated northern Gaza as Israel lifts its closure under truce

A large number of Palestinians entered the most severely affected area of the Gaza Strip on Monday following the reopening of the northern region by Israel. This marked the first time the closure had been lifted since the initial stages of the 15-month conflict with Hamas, in line with a delicate ceasefire agreement.

A significant crowd of individuals, carrying their belongings, could be seen walking along a main road adjacent to the coastline. This represented a stark contrast to the mass departure from the north at the beginning of the conflict, a scenario many Palestinians had feared would become permanent.

Having endured living in inadequate tent camps and makeshift shelters for over a year, Palestinians are keen to go back to their residences, even though it is probable that their homes have suffered damage or destruction.

Yasmin Abu Amshah, a mother of three, said she walked 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) to reach her home in Gaza City, where she found it damaged but still habitable. She also saw her younger sister for the first time in over a year.

“It was a long trip, but a happy one,” she said. “The most important thing is that we returned.”

Many saw their return as an act of steadfastness after Israel’s military campaign, which was launched in response to the Hamas militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The return was also seen as a repudiation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that large numbers of Palestinians be resettled in Egypt and Jordan.

‘The joy of return’

Ismail Abu Matter, a father of four who waited for three days near the crossing point before moving north with his family, described scenes of jubilation on the other side, with people singing, praying and crying as they were reunited with relatives.

“It’s the joy of return,” said Abu Matter, whose relatives were among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation. “We had thought we wouldn’t return, like our ancestors.”

The opening was delayed for two days over a dispute between Hamas and Israel, which said the militant group changed the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Mediators resolved the dispute overnight.

Hamas said the return was “a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans.”

The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack. Militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that assault and abducted another 250.

Israel responded with an air and ground war that has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

In the opening days of the war, Israel ordered the wholescale evacuation of the north and sealed it off shortly after ground troops moved in.

Around a million people fled to the south in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction of the war. In all, around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced.

Hostage dispute rattled week-old ceasefire

Israel had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. Israel said she should have been released before four young female soldiers, who were freed on Saturday.

It also accused Hamas of failing to provide information on whether the remaining hostages set to be freed in the first phase of the deal are alive or dead. Around 90 hostages are still inside Gaza, and Israel believes around a third of them are dead.

Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing.

The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, announced early Monday that an agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the hostage release – which will include female soldier Agam Berger – will take place on Thursday. Another three hostages are expected to be released on Saturday as previously planned.

Hamas also handed over a list of information about the hostages to be released in the ceasefire’s six-week first phase.

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 (2 miles).

Under the ceasefire agreement, vehicles are to be inspected for weapons before entering the north, but the mechanism for that was not immediately clear.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to enforce the ceasefire, and that anyone violating it or threatening Israeli forces “will bear the full cost.”

“We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

A second and more difficult phase awaits

Under the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is to free a total of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. So far under the truce, the militants have released seven hostages in exchange for more than 300 prisoners, including many serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.

The second – and far more difficult – phase of the agreement has not yet been negotiated. Hamas says it will not release the remaining 60 or so hostages unless Israel ends the war, while Netanyahu says he is still committed to destroying the militant group and ending its nearly 18-year rule over Gaza.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

You May Also Like
Chinese migrants flood South Florida via boat as authorities seek help with Cuban smugglers

Many Chinese immigrants arrive in South Florida by boat while officials ask for assistance in dealing with Cuban traffickers

During a recent crackdown on criminal aliens following President Donald Trump’s return…
Coast Guard stops boat carrying 21 illegal immigrants heading toward San Diego

Coast Guard intercepts vessel with 21 undocumented immigrants en route to San Diego

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday evening intercepted a boat carrying 21…
JD Vance Has Appropriate Reply After 'Journalist' Equates Milley's Portrait Removal to 'Erasing' History

JD Vance Gives a Fitting Response When a ‘Journalist’ Compares Milley’s Portrait Removal to ‘Erasing’ History

President Donald Trump wasted no time on his inauguration day in irking…
MS-13 gang member arrested by ICE previously released due to sanctuary policy

ICE arrests MS-13 gang member previously released under sanctuary policy

An MS-13 gang member, who had been arrested by federal immigration authorities…
Costco unseated as top wholesale store by rival pushing high-tech checkouts

Rival store surpasses Costco as leading wholesale retailer with advanced checkout technology

Costco has lost its crown as the country’s top warehouse club for…
Florida man, 88, allegedly killed his wife, attempted to make killing look like a suicide

An 88-Year-Old Florida Man Allegedly Commits Homicide and Stages Scene as Suicide

An elderly Florida man is accused of killing his wife and staging…
President Donald Trump says he's ordering Guantanamo Bay to be prepared to host up to 30,000 migrants

President Donald Trump wants Guantanamo Bay to get ready for 30,000 migrants

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he intends to sign an…
Grim truth about trooper who launched huge manhunt for suspect after claiming he was shot on a highway by a random gunman

Shocking Reality of Officer who Triggered Extensive Search for Suspect by Falsely Claiming to be Shot by Stranger on Highway

A New York State trooper who claimed he was shot on a…
Escaped North Carolina inmate has history of trying to flee law enforcement

North Carolina fugitive has a record of attempting to evade authorities

John Nigh, an inmate considered “dangerous” who is currently on the run…
100-year-old woman rescued by deputies as Eaton Fire approached senior living facility in Altadena

Deputies Rescue 100-Year-Old Woman from Eaton Fire Threatening Senior Living Facility in Altadena

In ALTADENA, California, a terrifying video was released by the Los Angeles…
Illinois city's police department vows to block law enforcement from coordinating with ICE

Illinois city’s police department promises to prevent collaboration between law enforcement and ICE

An Illinois city police department has made a commitment to obstruct local…
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke requests to have federal sentence commuted for corruption convictions

Ex-Chicago City Official Ed Burke Seeks Reduced Federal Prison Term for Corruption Convictions

CHICAGO (WLS) — Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke is trying to have…