CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli military has made an unexpected exit from a strategic area of Gaza called the Netzarim corridor, as announced by Hamas on Sunday. This action was in accordance with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. An Israeli security source, who preferred to remain anonymous due to lack of public authorization, verified the withdrawal of Israeli forces from their central Gaza positions. It had been noted that Israeli presence in the area had already decreased prior to the withdrawal.
Hamas marked this move as a triumph, with the Hamas-administered police force taking charge of managing the movement of Palestinians through the corridor. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the news. Reuters footage captured what appeared to be Israeli military vehicles relocating away from the coastline towards the Israeli border. For several months during the conflict, Israeli forces had occupied the Netzarim corridor, a stretch of land approximately 4 miles long south of Gaza City running from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea, effectively isolating Gaza’s northern communities from the south.
In recent weeks, a significant number of Palestinians have been returning to their homes in the northern region from the southern parts of Gaza where they had sought refuge during the war. Reports have surfaced of individuals being shocked by the devastation in their communities and discovering human remains in areas where Israeli forces had withdrawn. Much of northern Gaza now lies in ruins following Israel’s extensive military campaign. Some residents have chosen to relocate to the south, while others have resorted to setting up temporary shelters where their homes once stood.
Following the implementation of the ceasefire on January 19 after more than a year of conflict, former American soldiers working as private contractors have been employed to inspect vehicles passing through the corridor. On the day of the Israeli military’s withdrawal, crowds of people were observed traversing the area, with a line of vehicles waiting to cross through. There has been an increased public presence of Hamas military and police forces since the ceasefire, believed to be a deliberate message signaling that the group remains resilient.
Israel had vowed to dismantle Hamas following the October 2023 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, with over 250 taken as hostages. Palestinian health authorities report that more than 46,000 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory actions, with the majority of casualties being women and children. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem; Editing by Christina Fincher)
