Thousands of displaced Palestinians return to Gaza

Tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed along the main roads leading north in Gaza yesterday after Hamas agreed to hand over three Israeli hostages this week. Israeli forces began to withdraw from a main corridor across the enclave under the ceasefire agreement. Witnesses said the first residents arrived in Gaza City in the early morning after the first crossing point in central Gaza opened at 10:30 am IST. Another crossing opened around three hours later, letting in vehicles.

Around 650,000 Palestinians were displaced from northern



Gaza during the war, which was triggered by Hamas in southern Israel. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, residents of northern Gaza were to return at the weekend. But Israel said Hamas had broken the deal by failing to release civilian female hostage Arbel Yehud and kept its forces in the Netzarim corridor. Late on Sunday, Qatari mediators resolved the dispute after Hamas agreed to release Yehud and other hostages. Israel then gave the green light for a return to north Gaza on Monday morning.