DaysofPal- Tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the heavily damaged northern Gaza Strip on Monday morning marking the first time they have been able to cross the so-called Netzarim corridor since Israel’s devastating and genocidal war on the coastal enclave began.
The return process began early in the day, with the Israeli occupation army announcing that Palestinians would be allowed to cross al-Rashid Street on foot starting at 7:00 a.m., while vehicular crossings on Salahuddin Street were permitted from 9:00 a.m.
This development follows an agreement mediated by Qatar, which announced that the Palestinian resistance had agreed to release female Israeli captive Arbel Yehud along with two others by Friday. Information on the conditions of those set to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal was also provided.
Massive crowds gathered at the Netzarim checkpoint over the past three days, anxiously awaiting permission to return. Many had been barred from doing so as the Israeli army conditioned their return on Hamas releasing Israeli captive Arbel Yehud. At dawn on Monday, the Hamas Movement announced that an understanding had been reached through mediators, allowing displaced citizens to return to areas north of Wadi Gaza (Gaza Valley).
“The scenes of crowds of our people returning to the areas they were displaced from, where their homes are destroyed, assert the greatness of our people and their steadfastness on their land despite the severity of the pain and tragedy,” Hamas said in a statement. “The return of our displaced people to their homes has vindicated further that the occupation failed to achieve its aggressive goals of displacing our people and breaking their steadfastness.”
Hamas further described the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza as “a victory for our people and a declaration of failure and defeat for the Israeli occupation and transfer plans.” The movement reiterated its call for intensified delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, particularly the north, where destruction and deprivation remain severe.
The return of displaced Palestinians is seen as a powerful message of resilience to all those attempting to forcibly displace them from their ancestral land. Despite widespread destruction and dire conditions, the people of Gaza have demonstrated their unwavering determination to reclaim their homes and remain steadfast on their land.
This development also comes alongside plans for an additional prisoner exchange operation. Hamas confirmed that three Israeli captives, including Arbel Yehud, are set to be released by Friday, with three more captives scheduled for release on Saturday as part of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
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