Displaced Palestinians cross the Netzarim corridor as they make their way to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip on February 9, 2025.AFP
Earlier Sunday, the Israeli army confirmed that it had fully withdrawn its forces from the Netzarim corridor in Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which went into effect on 19 January.
"Our forces have completely withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor," Israel's Army Radio stated after the forces received orders on Saturday to withdraw from the corridor, which separates the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media broadcast footage of an Israeli officer giving final instructions to soldiers ahead of the complete pullout.
In the early evening hours, hundreds of vehicles carrying displaced Palestinians with their belongings were captured by cameras making the journey home to the north after 15 months of the Israeli genocidal war on the strip.
The Israeli occupation forces partially withdrew from the corridor on the seventh day of the ceasefire agreement as stipulated in the dear brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the sites set for evacuation are located east of Salah Al-Din Street. This withdrawal means the Israeli army will have no remaining presence in central and northern Gaza, except for the 162nd Division forces, which are deployed along the buffer zone near the border.
For now, the Israeli military presence will remain limited to the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza, the newspaper added.
Failure of genocidal war goals
Hamas considered the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Netzarim as further proof of the failure of the war of extermination against the Palestinian people.
In a statement, Hamas said that the return of displaced Palestinians, the ongoing prisoner swap, and the withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor have disproved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s false claim of achieving a complete victory.
The group also emphasized that the occupation’s attempts to control the strip and divide it have failed in the face of the Palestinian resistance's resilience and the people's steadfastness.
Moreover, Hamas reaffirmed that Gaza will remain a liberated land, safeguarded by its people and fighters and off-limits to occupiers and any foreign force.
Preparations for 2nd phase
On Sunday, an Israeli delegation arrived in Doha to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
The negotiations are expected to occur within the "direct talks" framework between Israel and the mediators, as US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed.
Earlier, Witkoff stated that the negotiations in the Qatari capital would address the outcomes of the first and second phases of the ceasefire deal. He also said US President Donald Trump is unconvinced with the third phase, which pertains to the reconstruction of Gaza.
Statements by Witkoff and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz revealed that Trump is unconvinced that Gaza's reconstruction should take five years, as stipulated in the agreement.
On Saturday, an Israeli official told Haaretz that PM Netanyahu will hold a security cabinet meeting upon his return from the United States to discuss negotiations on the second phase of the captive-prisoner swap deal.
However, the Israeli newspaper quoted Israeli sources on Sunday saying that Netanyahu may attempt to create obstacles that could lead to the collapse of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The sources said that the delegation visiting Doha will not push for the second phase of the agreement, which Netanyahu opposes.
They also noted that Netanyahu sent a negotiating team with limited authority that cannot make significant decisions.
According to the sources, Netanyahu believes that scenes of Israeli captives being released from Gaza have negatively impacted public opinion polls.
They also pointed out that Hamas’ mocking banners of Netanyahu's "absolute victory" have reinforced Netanyahu’s concern that completing the deal could “cost him his government.”
Short link: