More than 500,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza in the past 72 hours, according to the Hamas-run media office. The mass return comes after Israel began allowing displaced residents to move back to the north of the Gaza Strip on Monday, following a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that paused 15 months of fighting.
\"More than half a million displaced Palestinians have returned in the past 72 hours from the southern and central governorates to Gaza and northern governorates via Al-Rashid and Salah Al-Din roads,\" the media office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that it would release three Israeli detainees on Thursday. Israeli public radio reported that Israel would free 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
Despite the ceasefire, Gaza's health authorities reported that hospitals received 63 bodies in the past 24 hours. Among them were 59 individuals recovered from rubble, two who succumbed to injuries, and two new fatalities. This brings the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 47,417, with 111,571 injured, according to the health authorities.
The latest developments signal cautious optimism among the local population, who are hopeful that the ceasefire will hold and pave the way for lasting peace in the region.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
