CNN
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Israel completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor on Sunday, a militarized zone that divides Gaza in half as part of its commitment under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have submitted to the area, many of whom have destroyed their homes in the north, on foot, on cars and in some cases donkeys. People traveling the corridors need to navigate the checkpoints and destruction created by the 15-month Israeli artillery bombardment.
“I was kicked out a long time ago. I arrived on this road while I waited for the Israeli forces to retreat, and sometimes I saw them sleeping on it,” his car was inspected. said Osama Salem, who was waiting for him to do so.
“I hope that the Israeli army will withdraw from everything in Gaza and that life will return to normal,” he added.
Hamas said in a statement that Israeli forces had withdrawn from the corridor completely. This is a 6-kilometer strip of land, separated by the north of the territory from the south and extending from the Israel-Gaza border to the Mediterranean.
Named after the former Israeli settlement of Neszarim in Gaza, the corridor was built and occupied by Israeli forces and created a strategic central road that intersects the enclave.
“The withdrawal of Zionist occupying forces from the Netzarim axis is a victory for the will of our people,” Hamas statement issued on Sunday said.
There were no confirmations from Israel, but reporters working for CNN on the ground said there was no Israeli force at the intersection on Sunday.
Israel used the corridor as an occupation zone during its 15-month attack on Gaza. The force began withdrawing from Netzarim Corridor two weeks ago as part of the Israeli Hama ceasefire agreement.
The first 72 hours after Israeli forces opened the corridor, the Gaza government’s media office said about 500,000 displaced Palestinians (almost a quarter of Gaza’s population) were decisively heading north I went on a trip.
Israel holds its presence along the Gaza border between Egypt and Israel.
A checkpoint run by Egyptians and Qatari officials – a country that acts as mediators between the fighters – remains in Netzarim.
Israel’s full withdrawal from Netzarim is part of a commitment to a ceasefire and hostage agreement, with three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners released on Saturday.
So far, 16 out of a total of 33 hostages are expected to be released at the first and current stages of the transaction.
Separately, hours after Israeli forces retreated from the corridor, Israeli forces fired near Nahal Oz, killing three Palestinians, Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza border, Palestinian authorities said. I stated. Gaza’s civil defense said he was injured in the incident.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) fired a warning shot at a “subject” approaching a border fence in northern Gaza, saying “several hits have been identified” without acknowledging whether civilians were killed. . After the incident, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “Everyone who enters the buffer zone has their blood on their heads. It’s zero tolerance for those who threaten IDF troops or fence areas and communities.”
This is because negotiations on the second and third phases of the ceasefire and hostage agreement are plagued by uncertainty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deeply wary of the second phase of the contract, and will see the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the return of remaining hostages there. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotlich, has promised to quit the government if the ceasefire continues.
Israeli officials confirmed on Saturday that Netanyahu had sent a delegation to Doha to discuss the contract. Authorities told CNN the delegation was “mid-level” and “we will discuss technical details of the contract.”
Meanwhile, on the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces had shot and killed a woman who was eight months pregnant. Sundus Jamal Muhammad Shalabi, 23, said her husband was also shot and seriously injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. CNN approached the Israeli military for comment.
Israeli military invasions in the north West Bank, targeting cities of Jenin, Talkam and Tuba, have severely restricted access to essential services for Palestinians and caused widespread destruction, the United Nations said Thursday. .
According to Israeli forces, operations that began shortly after the Gaza ceasefire began include the Nursham refugee camp. In a Telegram post on Sunday, the IDF said “we began operations overnight to stop the terrorist attacks at Nur al-Shams,” adding that it “targets several terrorists and adds additional wanted people in the area.” He was arrested.”
This story has been updated with additional reports.
Khader Al-Za’anoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, and Kara Fox of CNN, contributed the report.
