Israeli forces began withdrawing from parts of Gaza on Friday (October 10) under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, and some residents returned to devastated neighborhoods, uncertain about their safety after two years of war.

"Thank God, my house is still standing," said Ismail Zayda, 40, in the Sheikh Radwan area of ​​Gaza City. "But this place is destroyed, my neighbor's house is destroyed, the whole district is gone." "Is it over? They say it is. Why doesn't anyone come out and tell us if there is a ceasefire so we can stop being afraid?"

The Israeli government ratified the ceasefire with Hamas in the early hours of Friday, paving the way for a troop withdrawal and a complete suspension of hostilities in Gaza within 24 hours. Israeli hostages held there will be released within 72 hours in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war on Gaza calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from several key urban areas of Gaza, although they will still control about half of the enclave.

Once the agreement comes into effect, trucks carrying food and medical aid will rush into Gaza to help civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have taken refuge in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and leveled entire cities to dust.

ISRAELI FORCES WITHDRAW FROM POSITIONS IN CENTRAL, SOUTHERN

"The government has just agreed to a framework for the release of all hostages – both living and deceased," tweeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's English-language account X.

In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, some Israeli forces withdrew from the eastern area near the border, but tank fire was heard, according to residents contacted by Reuters.

At the Nusseirat camp in the center of the enclave, some Israeli soldiers dismantled their positions and moved east toward the Israeli border, but other troops remained in the area after gunfire was heard early Friday.

Israeli forces withdrew from the road along the Mediterranean coast leading to Gaza City, where hundreds of people had gathered in hopes of returning to the enclave's main urban center, which has been under Israeli attack for the past month. Nearby shelling discouraged many, and only a few attempted to cross on foot, residents said. Rescue workers in Gaza City began missions in areas they had previously been unable to reach. Medics said at least 10 bodies had been recovered from previous attacks.

"As soon as we heard the news of the ceasefire, we were very happy and prepared to return to Gaza City, to our homes. Of course, there are no homes—they were destroyed," said Mahdi Saqla, 40. "But we are happy to be back where we came from, even if it's in ruins. That's also a great joy. For two years we suffered, driven from one place to another." (alg)

Source: Reuters