Gaza Ceasefire Holds as Displaced Palestinians Begin Returning Home

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes in the Gaza Strip on Friday after a ceasefire took effect and Israeli forces initiated a withdrawal from several areas. The movement marks a significant, though precarious, shift for a population that has endured months of conflict and displacement.

A massive flow of civilians was observed across the territory as people sought to return to their neighborhoods. From southern Gaza, thousands embarked on the long journey northward, mostly on foot due to severe fuel shortages. Others utilized the few functional vehicles, animal-drawn carts, bicycles, and motorcycles. Simultaneously, families returned to central Gaza and parts of Khan Younis in the south following the Israeli military's pullback. The main coastal and eastern routes, Al-Rashid Street and Salah al-Din Road, became crucial corridors for this large-scale return.

For many, the homecoming was bittersweet, as they encountered homes reduced to rubble. Hundreds of families, with no intact structures to inhabit, were forced to erect tents amidst the debris of their former residences. While Israeli forces completed a gradual withdrawal from areas including Gaza City and parts of Khan Younis, access remains blocked to the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, limiting the return for some.

The Gaza Government Media Office reported that over 5,000 humanitarian, health, and relief missions were carried out in the past 24 hours to address the urgent needs. This initial return of civilians and the troop withdrawal constitute the first phase of a plan announced by US President Donald Trump. The agreement, which came into force at 12 noon local time Friday, also envisions a prisoner exchange and a future governing mechanism for Gaza without Hamas's participation, though the path forward remains complex following the devastating conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.