After two years of brutal war, Gazans

Return to ruins

TDT | agencies

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Israel declared a ceasefire and started pulling back troops in Gaza yesterday, as thousands of displaced Palestinians began to trek back to their wrecked homes.

After two years of brutal war, the families of Israel’s remaining hostages in the territory were also hoping the truce -- pushed by US President Donald Trump -- would hold.

The Israeli army said its troops had ceased fire at noon (0900 GMT) “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages”.

Three hours later, the US Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the first phase of a pullback laid out in Trump’s peace plan. Israeli forces still hold around 53 percent of the Palestinian territory.

The withdrawal set the clock running on a 72-hour deadline for Hamas to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Israel, meanwhile, published the list of the 250 Palestinian prisoners it plans to release -- along with 1,700 Gazans detained since Hamas triggered the latest conflict on October 7, 2023, with a brutal cross-border assault. As the ceasefire began, long columns of Palestinians, exhausted by two years of intense bombardment and what the UN has warned were famine conditions, began a trek back from the southern city of Khan Yunis towards their shattered homes further north.

The EU mission at the Rafah border point between Gaza and Egypt will be reopening a pedestrian crossing on October 14, Italy said.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas will hand over 47 hostages -- living and dead -- still held from the 251 abducted during the attack two years ago. The remains of one more hostage, held in Gaza since 2014, are also expected to be returned.

Gaza’s civil defence agency confirmed that Israeli troops and armoured vehicles were pulling back from forward positions in both Gaza City and Khan Yunis.

But Israel warned some areas were still off-limits and that Palestinians should steer clear of its forces while they are “in the midst of adjusting operational positions in the Gaza Strip”.

Despite celebrations in Israel and Gaza and a flood of congratulatory messages from world leaders, many issues remain unresolved, including Hamas’s disarmament and a proposed transitional authority for Gaza led by Trump.

Trump said the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.