In historic return march, thousands of Palestinians arrive in northern Gaza
Palestinians displaced by Israel return to northern Gaza via al-Rashid Street, 27 January 2025
Tareq S. Hajjaj reports in Mondoweiss on 27 January 2025:
A sea of people streamed through both lanes of al-Rashid Street, the coastal road in the western Gaza Strip designated for the return north as part of the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas. As thousands upon thousands of people marched on foot in the west, to the east, vehicles were lined up bumper to bumper and allowed to cross after inspection on Salah al-Din Street.
These were the scenes in Gaza on Monday, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had been displaced in the southern Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war began to return home.
Families who spoke to Mondoweiss expressed their joy and feelings of hope upon crossing into northern Gaza, where what remained of their homes was waiting for them. The residents of Gaza City waited for their displaced relatives coming from the south, raising Palestinian flags and victory signs and welcoming the returnees.
“We endured everything throughout the war and stayed strong, but we cried more when we met our loved ones after coming home,” Ahmad Hussam, a returnee to northern Gaza, told Mondoweiss.
Since last Friday night, families have been removing their tents in southern Gaza and heading to the nearest point on the Netzarim axis, waiting to make the journey to return to their homes in north Gaza. Many had been camped out in the cold overnight so that they would be the first to be allowed through.
According to the ceasefire agreement, the displaced were supposed to return to their homes in the northern part of Gaza on Sunday morning, but Israel obstructed their return under the pretext that an Israeli captive, Arbel Yehuda, had not been among the four female soldiers released by Hamas on Saturday. Yehuda is not held by Hamas but by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. By Sunday, local media outlets reported that a settlement had been reached.