Summary
- Israel agreed to initial troop withdrawal under U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
- Troops pulled back to a designated 'yellow line' inside Gaza.
- Ceasefire includes release of hostages by Hamas and prisoners by Israel.
As a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas seemed to be holding, thousands of Palestinians moved north along Gaza's coast on Saturday, returning to their deserted homes by foot, car, and cart.
Under the first phase of a deal mediated by the United States and signed this week, Israeli troops withdrew from the conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left much of Gaza in ruins.
"It is an indescribable feeling; praise be to God,"
said Nabila Basal as she traveled by foot with her daughter, who she said had suffered a head wound in the war.
"We are very, very happy that the war has stopped, and the suffering has ended."
According to a security source cited by Israeli Army Radio, Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy for US President Donald Trump, visited Gaza early on Saturday to see the Israeli military redeployment.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM), joined him. According to a statement, his visit was a component of the formation of a task force to assist with stabilizing efforts in Gaza. US forces would not, however, be stationed inside the Strip.
The clock started to tick for Hamas to free its hostages within 72 hours after Israeli forces finished their redeployment on Friday, which keeps them out of major cities but leaves them in control of almost half the Gaza Strip.
"We are very excited, waiting for our son and for all the 48 hostages," said Hagai Angrest, whose son Matan is among the 20 Israeli hostages believed to still be alive.
"We are waiting for the phone call."
Two hostages remain unaccounted for, and 26 hostages have been pronounced dead in absentia.
The agreement states that Israel will release 1,700 inmates taken during the war and 250 Palestinians serving lengthy terms in its prisons upon the release of the hostages.
The arrangement calls for hundreds of trucks a day to flood into Gaza with food and medical aid.
More than 67,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the war that followed the attacks, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is governed by Hamas and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Trump, the first American president to do so since George W. Bush in 2008, is scheduled to travel to the area on Monday and speak to Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
What humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza now?
Aid convoys, coordinated by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, are bringing in food staples like flour, sugar, canned goods, medicines, baby formula, and nutritional supplements.
Humanitarian corridors established by the Israeli military facilitate the safe movement of aid trucks into Gaza, operating for specific hours daily. The Kerem Shalom crossing is the main entry point, with a limited number of aid trucks allowed in each day compared to pre-conflict levels (dozens versus the usual hundreds).
There have been airdrops of medical and food supplies by Israel and allied countries including Jordan and the UAE.