Israel withdraws from Gaza’s Netzarim corridor, allowing displaced Palestinians to return

Gaza/Jerusalem, Feb 9 (EFE).- The Israeli Army has fully withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor, an artificial road dividing Gaza in
two, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to the enclave’s north, Israeli military radio said Sunday.

Israel had already begun a partial withdrawal from the corridor nearly two weeks ago, but until now, it maintained some positions on the eastern side of the road, closer to Israeli territory.

Following the pullout, Israeli forces will now be stationed only in the Philadelphi Corridor—along the border with Egypt—and in a “buffer zone” between 500 and 700 meters wide, separating Gaza from Israel.

The Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, which is de facto ruling the strip, described Israel’s withdrawal from the corridor as a “failure” of its military offensive, calling it a victory for Palestinian resistance and resilience.

“The withdrawal of the Zionist occupation army from the Netzarim axis is a victory for the will of our people, a reward for the steadfastness and heroism of our brave resistance, and a confirmation of the failure of the objectives of the terrorist aggression,” Hamas said in a statement.

Displaced Families Begin Returning
EFE reporters witnessed families crossing the Netzarim Corridor early this morning, returning to northern Gaza. The area remains devastated, with no standing structures and heavily damaged roads.

Israeli tanks and military equipment are no longer present, and all crossings used to expel Palestinians from northern Gaza have been dismantled.

Since dawn, groups of displaced persons have been inspecting the ruins of their homes and searching through the rubble for clothing and supplies.

Near one of the dismantled crossings, a mound of sand emitted a strong stench, some families have discovered buried bodies in the area.

Due to the poor road conditions, vehicles cannot traverse the corridor’s eastern side, forcing returnees to pass through X-ray scanners on the western side.

The Israeli Army has not yet issued an official statement confirming the withdrawal.

Ceasefire Negotiations Continue in Qatar
Meanwhile, Israeli officials arrived in Doha last night to discuss “technical details” of the ceasefire agreement, though not the implementation of its second phase, according to Israeli media.

Under the terms of the truce, indirect talks with mediators, the US, Qatar, and Egypt, on the release of remaining hostages were set to begin on Feb. 3, the 16th day of the ceasefire.

However, Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told EFE that negotiations have not yet started, jeopardizing the agreement that has so far led to the release of 21 hostages (16 Israelis and five Thais) in exchange for over 700 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. EFE

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