Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to the northern Gaza Strip on Monday after Israel allowed passage as part of a deal under which Hamas agreed to release six hostages this week.
The war refugees began walking home early on Monday after Israel opened the Netzarim corridor, which bisects the coastal enclave from east to west, an area it has controlled since the early weeks of the Gaza war. A few hours later vehicles were allowed to travel north after passing through a roadblock operated by Egyptian contractors and an American security company that conducted screening to prevent the smuggling of weapons.
Hamas celebrated the return as a “victory” against what it said were Israeli plans to transfer residents of Gaza from their homeland. But many of those returning discovered scenes of destruction, particularly in Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya where it is estimated that more than two-thirds of homes have been destroyed. Some returning residents said it was impossible to even locate their former street among the rubble.
It is expected that tens of thousands will be forced once again to live in temporary tent encampments, lacking necessities and reliant on international humanitarian aid supplies.
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On Thursday, Hamas is to free three more hostages, including Arbel Yehud, the last female civilian in phase one of the ceasefire and Agam Berger, the last female soldier, along with another hostage. On Saturday another three hostages are to be released. Israel believes that 90 hostages remain in Gaza though not all of them are alive.
Hamas handed over to Israel a list that confirmed that eight of the 33 hostages being released in the first stage of the ceasefire were dead, matching Israeli intelligence assessments. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said there were grave concerns over the fate of Shiri Bibas, her husband Yarden and their two young sons Ariel and Kfir, seized from kibbutz Nir Oz. Images of a terrified Shiri clutching her ginger-haired baby and four-year-old boy, surrounded by Hamas gunmen, became a defining image of the horror of the October 7th, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
Leader of the far-right Religious Zionist party Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that the war would continue until Hamas was destroyed.
“Israel gave up the most important leverage and achievements in the war for a partial deal that leaves dozens of hostages behind and does not fulfil the goals of the war,” he said. “We will ensure that the work is completed and that the IDF will return to fighting until Hamas is destroyed and all the hostages are returned.”
The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, said the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Separately, the White House has announced that the Lebanon ceasefire has been extended by three weeks and will remain in force until February 18th. The decision came after at least two people were killed on Monday and more than 20 on Sunday when Israeli troops opened fire on residents of south Lebanese villages who were trying to return home.
The Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon was due to be completed on Sunday at the end of the 60-day ceasefire but Israel claimed that the Lebanese Armed Forces had failed to deploy along the border and ensure Hizbullah fighters had moved north of the Litani river. Hizbullah, badly weakened by Israel during the war, described Israel’s failure to leave south Lebanon by the deadline as a violation of the agreement and praised the residents of the south who tried to return to their homes.
