On a Friday in October, tens of thousands of Palestinians began walking back toward the ruined north of Gaza, drawn by a US-brokered ceasefire that briefly lifted the weight of a two-year war. It is a fragile opening, the kind humanity has seen before: a pause that brings relief to families who have been displaced again and again, yet leaves unanswered who will rule the shattered land and whether the armed side will lay down its weapons. For many returning, the journey ends not at home but among the rubble where home once stood.
Palestinians Return to Ruined Northern Gaza as US-Brokered Ceasefire Takes Effect
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and around 90 per cent of Gaza's roughly 2 million population displaced, often multiple times.
Many will find fields of rubble where their homes once stood.
Mark
Why does Friday matter beyond the guns going quiet?
Mimi
Because people are physically moving. Tens of thousands headed to northern Gaza, much of which is rubble. Roughly 90 per cent of the population has been displaced, often repeatedly.
Mark
And the hostages?
Mimi
The remaining 48 are to be released by Monday. About 20 are believed to be alive.
Luke
Worth noting that "believed to be alive" is an estimate. The reporting doesn't tell us who is confirmed or how that number was reached.
Mark
What are the biggest open questions?
Mimi
Who governs Gaza as Israeli troops pull back, and whether Hamas disarms, as Trump's plan calls for.
Luke
And nothing here says how either gets settled. Netanyahu's "hard way" remark is a warning, not a plan we can see.
Mark
He ended the last ceasefire, didn't he?
Mimi
Unilaterally, in March. That's why the hints of renewed offensive carry weight.
Luke
The aid timeline rests on one anonymous UN official. Sunday is the date given, but it isn't yet public detail.
Mark
So what do we watch?
Mimi
Monday's releases, Sunday's aid, and how far the withdrawal goes beyond the lines Israel says it will hold.
Il Polso
- Tens of thousands are streaming north into a landscape of rubble, pulled by the hope that the shelling has finally stopped.
- The clock is ticking: the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 believed alive, must be released by Monday.
- Israeli troops are withdrawing only gradually, and no one has settled who will govern Gaza once they leave.
- Netanyahu has warned that disarmament must come 'the easy way' or it will be pursued 'the hard way,' leaving renewed offensive looming over the truce.
- Aid trucks are scheduled to roll in from Sunday to ease severe malnutrition and famine, the first test of whether the ceasefire holds in practice.
On a Friday in October, tens of thousands of Palestinians began walking back toward the ruined north of Gaza, drawn by a US-brokered ceasefire that briefly lifted the weight of a two-year war. It is a fragile opening, the kind humanity has seen before: a pause that brings relief to families who have been displaced again and again, yet leaves unanswered who will rule the shattered land and whether the armed side will lay down its weapons. For many returning, the journey ends not at home but among the rubble where home once stood.
On Friday, tens of thousands of Palestinians began moving back toward northern Gaza, a region reduced to ruin, after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect. Many of them know what they will find: fields of rubble where their homes once stood. The war, which began with Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel, has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 90 per cent of the Strip's roughly 2 million people, often more than once.
The Israeli military confirmed the truce, and Palestinians reported that the heavy shelling had largely stopped. Under the deal, the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 believed alive, are to be freed by Monday. Yet the hardest questions remain open. Israeli troops will pull back gradually, and it is unclear who will govern Gaza afterward or whether Hamas will disarm, as President Trump's plan requires.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who ended an earlier ceasefire in March, warned that disarmament must come easily or else by force. Israel will keep operating from the half of Gaza it still controls. Meanwhile, a UN official said aid deliveries are set to begin Sunday, aimed at severe malnutrition and famine. The first tests will be the aid trucks on Sunday and the hostage deadline on Monday.
On Friday, tens of thousands of Palestinians started moving back toward northern Gaza, a part of the Strip that has been heavily destroyed. They went because a US-brokered ceasefire had just taken effect, in a deal that raised hopes of ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military confirmed the start of the truce on Friday. Palestinians said heavy shelling in parts of Gaza earlier in the day had mostly stopped after the announcement. Under the agreement, the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive, are to be released by Monday. All of them were set to be freed within days.
Many of those walking north will find fields of rubble where their homes once stood. The two-year war was triggered by Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. It has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza's population of some 2 million people, often more than once.
The ceasefire is a key step toward ending that war, but the harder questions are unanswered. Israeli troops are to pull back gradually, and it is not settled who will govern Gaza once they do. Nor is it clear whether Hamas will disarm, as US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan calls for.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended an earlier ceasefire in March, addressed the country in a televised statement on Friday. He said the next stages would see Hamas disarm and Gaza demilitarised. "If this is achieved the easy way — so be it. If not — it will be achieved the hard way," he said, hinting that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons. The Israeli military has said it will keep operating defensively from the roughly 50 per cent of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to agreed-upon lines.
Aid is also meant to move. A UN official, speaking anonymously because the details have not been made public, said Israel had given the United Nations the green light to begin delivering scaled-up aid into Gaza starting Sunday. The shipments are intended to address severe malnutrition and famine conditions that followed Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian help.
That history is part of the legal record. The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and his former defence minister for allegedly using starvation as a method of war. Israeli officials deny the accusations.
The first marker to watch is Monday's deadline for the hostage releases, followed by whether aid trucks arrive on Sunday as promised, and then the unresolved questions of disarmament and governance as Israeli forces withdraw.
Citazioni salienti
If this is achieved the easy way — so be it. If not — it will be achieved the hard way.— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, televised statement
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su The Hitavada ↗
War & Conflict