Israel completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor on Sunday, a militarized zone that splits Gaza in half, as part of its commitments under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have filed through the area, many of them returning decimated homes in the north, by foot, car and in some cases, by donkeys. People traveling through the corridor must still navigate a checkpoint and the destruction wrought by 15 months of Israeli bombardment.
“I was displaced a long time ago. I have seen people arriving on this road, sometimes even sleeping on it while waiting for the Israeli army to withdraw,” said Osama Saleem, who was waiting for his vehicle to be inspected.
“I hope the Israeli army withdraws from all of Gaza and that life returns to normal,” he added.
Hamas said in a statement that Israeli forces had fully withdrawn from the corridor, a six-kilometer strip of land that separates the north of the territory from the south and stretches from the Israel-Gaza border to the Mediterranean Sea.
Named after the former Israeli settlement of Netzarim in Gaza, the corridor was constructed and occupied by the Israeli military to create a strategic, central road intersecting the enclave.
“The withdrawal of the Zionist occupation army from the Netzarim axis is a victory for the will of our people,” a Hamas statement issued Sunday said.
There has been no confirmation from Israel, but reporters working for CNN on the ground said there were no Israeli forces present at the crossing on Sunday.
Israel had used the corridor as a zone of occupation during its 15-month assault on Gaza. Its troops began withdrawing from Netzarim Corridor two weeks ago as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
In the first 72 hours after Israeli forces opened the corridor, around 500,000 displaced Palestinians — almost a quarter of Gaza’s population — had made the journey to the decimated north, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
Israel retains its presence along Gaza’s borders with Egypt and Israel.
A checkpoint run by Egyptian and Qatari officials — countries that play a mediator role between the warring sides — remains at Netzarim.
Israel’s complete withdrawal from Netzarim is part of its commitment to the ceasefire and hostage agreement, which on Saturday saw the release of three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners.
So far, 16 out of a total of 33 hostages expected to be released in the first — and current — phase of the deal have been freed.
Separately, hours after Israel troops withdrew from the corridor, Israel forces opened fire near Nahal Oz, an Israeli kibbutz that lies close to the Gaza border, killing three Palestinians, Palestinian authorities said. Others were wounded in the incident, Gaza’s Civil Defense said, without specifying how many people had been injured.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it fired warning shots towards “suspects” who had approached the border fence in northern Gaza, and that “several hits were identified,” without acknowledging whether any civilians were killed. Following the incident, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “Anyone who enters the buffer zone, their blood is on their own head — zero tolerance for anyone who threatens IDF forces or the fence area and communities.”
