Over 500,000 displaced Palestinians have made their way back to northern Gaza in the past 72 hours, marking a significant movement following a recent ceasefire agreement. The Hamas-run media office announced on Wednesday that residents are returning via the Al-Rashid and Salah Al-Din roads from the southern and central governorates.
\"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,\" the media office stated, highlighting the scale of the return.
The return comes after Israel began allowing displaced individuals to go back to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip on Monday. This decision follows a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that paused 15 months of intense conflict affecting the region.
In a development signaling a potential easing of tensions, Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that it will release three Israeli detainees on Thursday. Israeli public radio reported that Israel is set to free 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
Despite the ceasefire, the aftermath of the conflict continues to unfold. Gaza's health authorities reported that hospitals received 63 bodies in the past 24 hours. Among them, 59 were recovered from rubble, two succumbed to their injuries, and there were two new fatalities. According to the authorities, this brings the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 47,417, with 111,571 individuals injured.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
