Israel to allow thousands of Palestinians to return to northern Gaza

Credit: AP Displaced Palestinians gather with their belongings near a roadblock on the al Rashid Street, as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/ Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians are waiting to return to northern Gaza, which the Israeli PM has confirmed will be allowed from Monday. Credit: AP

A hostage release will take place and Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed.

Authorities will allow Palestinians to return to the north on Monday, he said, while the release of an Israeli civilian hostage will take place on Thursday.

Mediator Qatar said Hamas will hand over the civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud, along with two other hostages before Friday.

The announcement marks the easing of tensions in the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after Israel put the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza on hold because Yehoud was not released on Saturday, which they said violated the agreement.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered, waiting to move north, while local health officials said Israeli forces fired on the crowd on Sunday, killing two people and wounding nine.

Israel's military said it fired warning shots at “several gatherings of dozens of suspects who were advancing toward the troops and posed a threat to them."

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement confirmed that Palestinians can move north on Monday. Credit: AP

US President Donald Trump meanwhile suggested that most of Gaza's population be at least temporarily resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan, to “just clean out” the war-ravaged enclave - comments which saw him accused of supporting "ethnically cleansing" the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza ceasefire's first phase runs until March and includes the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second phase has yet to be negotiated.

In Lebanon, Israeli forces opened fire on protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement on Sunday, killing at least 22 and injuring more than 120, Lebanese health officials reported.

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