Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza are crossing the so-called Netzarim Corridor and returning home to their loved ones in the north of the Strip for the first time since Israel’s war on the enclave began.
Israel’s military says Palestinians will be allowed to cross al-Rashid Street by foot starting at 7am (05:00 GMT) and Salah al-Din Street by vehicle from 9am (07:00 GMT).
Hamas issued a statement describing the return of displaced people as “a victory” for the Palestinians and a defeat for the Israelis.
It said the scenes of the return of Palestinians to the areas which they were displaced from confirms their link to their land and once again, “proves the failure of the occupation to achieve the aggressive goals of displacing people and breaking their steadfast will”.
Videos and images posted online by Al Quds Today, a Palestinian television channel, show displaced people walking on al-Rashid Street in the dim morning light as they seek to cross the so-called Netzarim Corridor and return to the north.
In the north, civil defence crews were on standby to serve those returning, according to the images.
