Thousands of Palestinians travel home to heavily destroyed northern Gaza

Around 650,000 people are trying to travel north after a dispute between Israel and Hamas delayed the opening of the area over the weekend

Israel has started allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to the destroyed northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of its 15-month war with Hamas.

Israel gave the go-ahead on Monday after a two-day delay caused by a dispute with Hamas. Israel accused the group of changing the order of hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

This comes as Qatar announced that Hamas would release Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud, along with two others, by Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added that an additional hostage, a female soldier called Agam Berger, would be freed on Thursday.

Palestinians gathering with their belongings near a roadblock. / Credit: AP

Palestinians living in dire conditions at tent camps were eager to return home, but many remain worried about an idea floated by US President Donald Trump which would force large numbers of Palestinians to resettle in Egypt and Jordan.

Ismail Abu Mattar, father of four, described “a sea of people” heading north and said he and his family waited for three days to return to their home in Gaza City.

“They were three days of hell,” he said. “We were concerned that the truce would collapse and we wouldn’t return.”

Hamas said the return was “a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans”.

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.

The ceasefire is aimed at quelling the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas.

Israel’s air and ground war has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.