AhlulBayt News Agency: Over 500,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to the devastated remains of their homes in Gaza City following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas resistance movement, according to Gaza’s civil defense authority.
Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, stated on Saturday that the mass return began immediately after Israel’s attacks appeared to cease on Friday.
A ceasefire brokered by the United States came into effect at noon on Friday. This truce marks the initial phase of a new agreement between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military confirmed it had repositioned its forces in line with the deal.
By Friday afternoon, Israeli tanks had withdrawn from al-Rashid Street along Gaza’s coastline, allowing displaced families to begin returning to Gaza City.
“More than half a million people have returned to Gaza City since yesterday,” Bassal told AFP.
The civil defense agency reported that around 9,500 individuals are still missing under the rubble throughout Gaza. Rescue teams have recovered 155 bodies so far and continue to receive numerous emergency calls daily.
Thousands of returnees have erected makeshift tents amid the ruins of their homes, facing severe shortages of shelter and essential supplies.
Humanitarian aid deliveries are expected to commence on Sunday, once the Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens under the ceasefire terms.
During the course of the war, approximately 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee Gaza City and the northern regions due to continuous Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
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