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CLittle more than a small rucksack or metal can to hold water, thousands of Palestinians In Gaza Began hiking to his home on Friday after the ceasefire between Hamas And israel Came into effect.
Crawling along the coastal road leading north to Gaza City, people displaced countless times over two years by unprecedented bloodshed once again took to the streets. Many carried nothing more than the clothes they were wearing as they hoped that the pause in fighting might eventually become more permanent.
Along the road were the ashen remains of buildings destroyed by continuous Israeli bombardment. The shattered horizon loomed around them, above piles of concrete debris and twisted metal.
Among the travelers was Mahmoud al-Kafarneh, 37, who was traveling to his home in northern Gaza. Displaced in a tent for so long, he ventured the long road north to find shelter.
“Your body shudders at the scale of the destruction,” he said. “I felt extremely happy, the feeling of returning to the place where I always loved to live, on the streets I know and remember well, despite the destruction that has been caused on them. But there is another important reason for my happiness, which is that the sounds of violent shelling have stopped and the constant fear for my family and mother from the shelling has gone away.
“We hope that the ceasefire will continue permanently.”
Mass movements of people began shortly after noon, when the Israeli government announced that the long-awaited ceasefire had begun.
Under the “Phase One” rules of Donald Trump’s According to the plan, Hamas now has 72 hours to free the 48 remaining hostages – only 20 of whom are believed to be alive – who have been held since the atrocities on October 7, 2023. In exchange, 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons would be released. While that is happening, Israeli forces will begin a phased withdrawal to what is known as the “Yellow Line”, which runs several kilometers deep into Gaza, but will mean pulling out of some of the more populous cities.
An Israeli official told Independent The handover could begin as early as Sunday, with the hostages being brought to Israel through multiple crossings. In the agreement, all 48 were supposed to be released at the same time but the same official said this was unlikely.
Families may have to wait because Hamas does not know the location of all the dead hostages. Independent Understands that an international task force, including regional countries such as Qatar and Türkiye, will be assembled to locate and retrieve the missing.
President Trump, eager to keep up pressure on the deal, has said he intends to visit Israel early next week to address the government and is expected to meet families of those still held hostage, but hopes for a long-term peace remain very much in limbo with the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu, He stressed that until Hamas is completely disarmed, its troops will remain in the area. Israeli forces currently control about 50 percent of Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu said, “If it can be achieved the easy way, so be it. If not, it will be achieved the hard way.” He said that Hamas had agreed to this deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck and it still is on its neck.
In Gaza, Palestinians were told not to deviate from their designated areas, with Brigadier General Effie Defrin warning: “I am from here calling on the residents of Gaza to avoid entering areas under IDF control. Abide by the agreement and ensure your safety.”
As the enclave begins to open up and the bombardment stops, aid agencies have urgently called for all crossings to be opened for food aid to tackle the growing famine in the Gaza Strip. Aid convoys are expected to be allowed from Sunday.
UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires said children are especially vulnerable because they go without proper food for long periods of time. “The situation is grave,” he said. “We risk seeing a huge increase in child mortality, not only of newborns but also of infants, because their immune systems are more vulnerable than ever.”
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, hundreds of Palestinians returning to their homes following the withdrawal of Israeli troops found damaged buildings, debris and destruction. Fatma Radwan said, “There was nothing left. There were just some clothes, pieces of wood and utensils.”
“We came to a place that is unrecognizable,” said Hani Omran, displaced from Khan Yunis. “An unknown city. Destruction is everywhere.”
Speaking at a special Shabbat dinner held at Hostages Square, a rallying point for relatives and families of hostages, Inav Zangoukar, the mother of Matan Zangoukar, 24, who was captured from Nir Oz, appealed to the Israeli people to help keep the ceasefire alive.
“We are in those days when we need you more than ever – a tense and nerve-wracking day,” he cried, adding that the conflict was not over until all 48 hostages were brought home. “We are facing a storm of emotions. We are worried and we don’t know anything beyond what you also know.”
Arbel Yehoud, herself a prisoner of Palestinian Islamic Jihad until her release in the first ceasefire, spoke about her partner, Ariel Cunio, who is also in captivity. “Just a little while longer and you’ll be home, my dear,” she said, crying.
Omri Lifshitz, the 51-year-old son of peace activist Oded, who was captured and killed in captivity on October 7, said the family were “holding their breath” and battling an “emotional rollercoaster” while waiting.
Oded’s body was recovered from Gaza and returned to his family in February so they could hold a funeral, which Omri said was important for the family to find closure.
“We don’t know how they will locate all the hostages. I hope they find and return the bodies. We fear some will never be found. But this feels like the end of the war. I hope it will be better for all of us to make Gaza a beautiful place again. My father was a peace activist all his life, delivering Palestinian children to hospitals.
“I don’t know if you can call it peace – it’s a ceasefire, but I’m optimistic. We need to fight for a better future for everyone.”