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Huge crowds await return to north after delays

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Rushdi Abalov

BBC News Gaza correspondent

grey placeholderReuters Crowds and Hamas police officers in GazaReuters

Armed Hamas police officers

Thousands of Palestinians trying to reach northern Gaza have gathered at an Israeli military checkpoint blocking their progress.

Images showed huge crowds waiting to pass the Netzarim Corridor, a road separating northern and southern Gaza and controlled by Israeli forces.

Israel was scheduled to withdraw its forces from the area this weekend, but remained after the government accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Israel said it would continue to block the road to northern Gaza because Arbel Yehud, a civilian hostage, was not released on Saturday. Hamas responded by providing proof that she was alive and said it would release her at the end of next week.

On Saturday, Hamas Four Israeli soldiers were freed They have been held hostage since October 7, 2023, in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners. Ms. Yehud, the non-military hostage, was to be released first.

Mediators in Egypt and Doha are holding meetings on the smooth and safe return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in the north, but a senior Palestinian official told the BBC that the process remains stalled.

grey placeholderEPA drone shows Palestinians waiting to return to the northern Gaza Strip from the southern Gaza Strip, along Rashid Street, west of the refugee camp in Nawasir on January 26 EPA

Palestinians waiting on Al-Rashid Road, west of the Nawasir refugee camp, to return to the northern Gaza Strip

There were some chaotic scenes on Saturday evening as Palestinians who expected to be able to walk north after the hostage release was completed found the road still blocked by Israeli tanks.

As crowds gathered along Al-Rashid Road in central Gaza to return home, shots were said to have been fired.

In a video posted online, the BBC confirmed that on this road, people can be seen panicking and four gunshots can be heard.

In a separate incident, Reuters news agency, citing the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and Palestinian media reported one person killed and others injured.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said forces in central Gaza released the footage after “several gatherings of dozens of suspects posing a threat to the forces were identified.”

A statement continued: “Contrary to reports emerging in recent hours, all shooting in the area was carried out for the purpose of getting away and not out of harm’s way. We confirm that as of this point, no injuries to the suspects are known to have occurred as a result of the shooting.”

Earlier on Saturday, Muhammad Asr al-Din was one of thousands waiting to return home to northern Gaza.

He told the BBC over the phone: “I know my house may be destroyed, but I will put a tent over its remains. I just want to go back.”

“I need my business back. I am a barber in Gaza and I am trying to figure out how to repair the damage to the salon and restart my business. I have become indebted to many people and I cannot afford to buy the simplest things for my children.”

“All I hope is for this conflict between Hamas and Israel to end, and for us to be allowed to return to our homes in the north. We have not seen our loved ones for more than 15 months.”

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Palestinians were to be allowed to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Israeli-controlled territory that cuts off northern Gaza from the rest of the territory.

Lobna Nasar, carrying her two daughters and son in a donkey cart, hoped to return home and be reunited with her husband, the Sultan, whom she had not seen in 11 months.

Speaking on Saturday afternoon, she said: “I will stay here, as close to the Israeli checkpoint as possible. For months, my daughters have been waiting for the moment to meet their father. I want to be among the first to return to Gaza.”

grey placeholderBring them home now Erbil YehudBring them home now

Hamas has insisted that Arbel Yehud is alive and will be released next week

The Qatari and Egyptian mediators who facilitated talks between Israel and Hamas have made progress in their efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.

Israel had asked Hamas intermediaries that Ms Yehud was alive and had apparently given it to the Egyptians by Saturday evening, the BBC understands.

Meanwhile, many Ghazans were anxiously watching for any breakthrough that could allow them to return.

For many, the hope of return outweighs the reality of what lies ahead: ruins and destruction.

However, the dream of reclaiming their lives, rebuilding their homes and reuniting with their families keeps their spirits alive.

Watch: West Bank celebrations when liberated Palestinian prisoners return

Watch: Emotional reunion of Israeli hostages released by Hamas

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2025-01-26 18:22:00

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