Over 300,000 Palestinians head back to northern Gaza amid ceasefire
This aerial photo shows displaced Gazans walking toward Gaza City on January 27, 2025. (AFP Photo)
More than 300,000 displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza on Monday following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to a statement from the Gaza Media Office.
“More than 300,000 displaced people from the southern and central Gaza governorates returned to Gaza and Northern governorates today via the Rashid (west) and Salah al-Din (east) streets, after 470 days,” the statement said.
The ceasefire, which took effect on January 19, paused hostilities after months of devastating conflict. The fighting had resulted in more than 47,300 Palestinian deaths, most of them women and children, and injured over 111,400 since October 7, 2023.
The toll also includes more than 11,000 missing persons, amid a humanitarian crisis described as one of the worst global disasters in recent memory.
The ceasefire was accompanied by a prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, facilitating the movement of civilians back to northern Gaza for the first time in over a year.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions during the conflict.
