Thousands of displaced Palestinians are being prevented from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel accuses Hamas of violating the terms of a cease-fire agreement and has blocked highways.
The conflict came after Hamas released four Israeli female soldiers and Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners of war.
But the Israeli government said Gazans would not be allowed to travel north until a plan was in place for the release of Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud. Hamas insists she is alive and will be released next week.
According to the agreement, Hamas was to release civilians before soldiers.
Gunshots were reportedly fired as a crowd gathered to return home along Al Rashid Street in central Gaza on Saturday evening.
Palestinian media reported that one person was killed and several others injured, Reuters reported, citing the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
In a video of the incident posted online, four gunshots can be heard. BBC Verify has verified the location of the footage, but the BBC has not been able to independently verify reports of injuries.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its forces in central Gaza opened fire after “a group of dozens of suspects who posed a threat to the military were identified.”
“Contrary to reports that have emerged over the past few hours, all shootings in the area were carried out at a distance and were not intended to cause harm. At this stage, the suspects were injured. We stress that what happened has not been confirmed as a result of the shooting. ”
Early Saturday morning, Mohammed Emad al-Din was one of thousands of people waiting to return home in northern Gaza.
“I know my house might be destroyed, but I’m going to pitch my tent on top of the wreckage. I just want to go home,” he told the BBC by phone.
“I need to get my job back. I am a barber in Gaza and am trying to figure out how to repair the damage to my salon and restart my business. I am indebted to many people. I can do that.’ I can’t afford to buy the simplest things for my kids,” he added.
“All I want is for this conflict between Hamas and Israel to end and for us to be allowed to return to our homeland in the north. We have not seen our loved ones in over 15 months .”
The Netzarim Corridor is a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) strip of Israeli-controlled land that separates northern Gaza from the rest of the territory.
Lubna Nassar arrived in the afternoon on a donkey cart with her two daughters and son, hoping to return home and reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she had not seen in 11 months.
“I will stay here as close as possible to the Israeli checkpoints. My daughters have been waiting for the moment to meet their father for months. I want to be the first to return to Gaza,” she said. said.
Mediators in Qatar and Egypt are working to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.
But Israeli tanks still block roads along the coast where people were supposed to head north.
The Israeli side asked the intermediary for proof of Yehud’s survival from Hamas, which Hamas appears to have handed over to the Egyptian side.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, four Israeli female soldiers taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, were released on Saturday, as were 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, many Gazans are anxiously watching for a breakthrough that would allow them to return home.
For many, the hope of return outweighs the reality of ruin and destruction that awaits them.
But the dream of reclaiming their lives, rebuilding their homes and reuniting with their families keeps their spirits alive.
