Tuesday 28 / January / 2025
Gaza: Israel has begun allowing Palestinians displaced by over a year of fighting to return to the heavily devastated region of northern Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire terms, for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas.
"The passage of displaced Palestinians has begun along the Al-Rashid Road via the western part of the Netzarim checkpoint towards Gaza City and the northern part" of the Gaza Strip, an official with the enclave's Interior Ministry was quoted as saying by the French AFP news agency.
Thousands of Palestinians have headed north after waiting for days to cross.
The Associated Press news agency said its reporters saw people cross via the so-called Netzarim corridor soon after 7 a.m. local time (05GMT).
The return of vast crowds of Palestinians to northern Gaza was delayed for two days, as Israel accused Hamas of changing the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Egypt, Arab League rebuke Trump's idea to move Palestinians out of Gaza
Egypt has rejected any displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Cairo's response comes after US President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested a plan to "clean out" Gaza and move its population to Egypt and Jordan.
A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday expressed Cairo's "continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land."
It said the "temporary or long-term" transfer of Palestinians "threatens stability, risks expanding the conflict in the region and undermines prospects of peace and coexistence among its people."
Egypt rejects any violation of Palestinian rights "whether through settlement or annexation of territories."
The Arab League echoed Egypt's sentiments, warning against "attempts to uproot the Palestinian people from their land."
"The forced displacement and eviction of people from their land can only be called ethnic cleansing", the regional bloc's general secretariat said in a statement.
Israel says 6 hostages to be released
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday confirmed that another six hostages would be released by Hamas in the coming week.
Three hostages — civilian Arbel Yehoud, who is also a German citizen, female soldier Agam Berger and another hostage — will be released on Thursday.
"Three additional hostages will be released this Saturday," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
In return, Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza starting Monday.
This means that around 650,000 Palestinians in central and southern Gaza would be allowed to return to their homes in the north, which has been massively destroyed amid the Israel-Hamas war.
