Tens of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians are heading to their homes, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect following more than 15 months of war.
Israel on Sunday said a truce with Hamas began in Gaza at 11:15am (09:15 GMT), nearly three hours after initially scheduled, following a last-minute delay on the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Almost the entire 2.3-million population of Gaza was forcibly displaced during the 15 months of genocide, in many cases more than once.
In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds of Palestinians streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape dotted with piles of rubble and destroyed buildings.
In the main southern city of Khan Younis, people celebrated their pending homecoming.
During the delay in the ceasefire coming into effect, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 19 Palestinians.
The initial phase will last six weeks, and will involve a limited prisoner exchange, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops in Gaza and a surge of aid into the enclave.
Thirty-three Israeli captives, including women, children and civilians over the age of 50 – taken during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 – will be released. In exchange, Israel will release a larger number of Palestinian prisoners during this phase, including prisoners serving life sentences. Among the Palestinians being released are around 1000 who were detained after October 7.
In tandem with the exchange of captives, Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza’s population centres to areas no more than 700 metres inside Gaza’s border with Israel. However, that may exclude the Netzarim Corridor, the militarised belt bisecting the Strip and controlling movement along it – the withdrawal from Netzarim is expected instead to take place in stages.
Israel will allow civilians to return to their homes in the enclave’s besieged north, where aid agencies warn famine may have taken hold, and allow a surge of aid into the enclave – up to 600 trucks per day.
Israel will also allow wounded Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment, and open the Rafah crossing with Egypt seven days after the start of the implementation of the first phase.
Israeli forces will reduce their presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Egypt and Gaza, and then withdraw completely no later than the 50th day after the deal comes into effect.
Details of the second and third phases, though understood to be agreed to in principle, are to be negotiated during the first phase. US President Joe Biden has said that the ceasefire will continue even if the negotiations on the second and third phases go beyond the initial six weeks of the first phase.