Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning to Gaza City, encountering widespread destruction after 15 months of conflict. The city’s infrastructure lies in ruins, with residents searching for shelter among damaged buildings and attempting to locate separated family members during the return journey.
Many returnees traveled more than 20 kilometers on foot along the coastal highway, carrying their remaining possessions. Hamas authorities reported that over 300,000 people—approximately half of those displaced from northern Gaza—have now returned to Gaza City and its northern areas.
The return coincides with ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Under current agreements, Hamas is scheduled to release three Israeli hostages on Thursday and three more on Saturday. In exchange, Israel will free Palestinian prisoners, with some accepting relocation to countries including Qatar, Turkey, and Algeria.
A Hamas delegation led by Mohammad Darwish has arrived in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian mediators. The current ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt and Qatar with U.S. support, stipulates the release of 33 hostages during a six-week pause, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. So far, seven hostages and 290 prisoners have been exchanged.
Negotiations for the second phase, addressing the fate of over 60 remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, are set to begin next Tuesday. This phase could potentially lead to the war’s conclusion. The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli figures. The subsequent Israeli military response has resulted in nearly 47,000 Palestinian casualties, according to Palestinian health authorities.
While some hardliners in Netanyahu’s government oppose proceeding to the second phase, preferring to continue military operations, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri expressed confidence that talks would proceed as planned. The long-term governance of Gaza remains uncertain, with Israel maintaining that Hamas cannot retain power, while regional stakeholders reject proposals for Palestinian relocation to neighboring countries.
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