‘Full of sorrow’ – Gazans trek home as truce begins

Full of grief aft 2 years of warfare but gladsome to beryllium going home, thousands of displaced Palestinians acceptable disconnected crossed the Gaza Strip connected Friday, arsenic a truce betwixt Israel and Hamas took hold.

Timidly astatine first, past successful a immense column, thousands walked northwards successful a enactment astatine slightest a kilometre agelong from the safer areas of cardinal Gaza towards Gaza City, the country of a gruelling Israeli violative earlier Friday’s ceasefire.

People chanted “God is great”, cheering and whistling successful their joyousness arsenic they walked connected a precocious opened Mediterranean seafront road, AFP journalists saw.

Ibrahim al-Helou, a 40-year-old antheral from Gaza City displaced successful the cardinal exile campy of Al-Maghazi, told AFP helium was excited, but remained cautious.

He said that erstwhile helium began heading home, “the concern was dangerous, with gunfire, truthful I waited for a while”.

“Now, the roadworthy has been opened and we person each continued connected our mode backmost to Gaza to cheque connected our homes and measure the situation”.

Ahmad Azzam, a 35-year-old who was besides displaced to cardinal Gaza from Gaza City, said helium moved arsenic soon arsenic helium heard of the troops pulling back.

“When I heard quality of the Israeli withdrawal and that the roadworthy would beryllium opened successful the coming hours, my household and I instantly headed to Al-Rashid Street to instrumentality to Gaza,” helium told AFP.

He added that, similar Helou, helium recovered the concern unsafe astatine first, and initially chose to hold connected a elevation overlooking the coastal road.

“Only a fewer radical are risking moving forward,” helium said, speaking astatine noon, the clip the troops’ pullback officially began.

Israel’s subject said Friday that troops “began positioning themselves on the updated deployment lines successful mentation for the ceasefire statement and the instrumentality of hostages”.

It said successful a abstracted connection successful Arabic that Gaza’s main north-south axis, Salah Al-Din road, had besides been reopened, but warned Gazans against approaching service troops inactive stationed wrong the Palestinian territory.

Israel authorities spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists connected Thursday that Israel’s subject would redeploy to the alleged Yellow Line, arsenic they gradually retreat nether a program projected by US President Donald Trump.

During this archetypal portion of the withdrawal process, the subject volition inactive clasp astir 53 percent of the Gaza Strip.

– ‘Running’ –

In the confederate metropolis of Khan Yunis, dozens walked backmost to their homes connected paths cleared done piles of rubble accumulated from implicit 2 years of warfare and aerial strikes, an AFP writer reported.

Destroyed and damaged buildings, their facades torn disconnected by blasts oregon crumbling upon their foundations, stood connected each sides arsenic the returnees walked successful the greeting sun, soon aft quality dispersed that Israeli forces had withdrawn from parts of Khan Yunis.

“We’re happy. Even if we instrumentality to ruins with nary life, astatine slightest it’s our land,” Ameer Abu Iyadeh, a returnee, told AFP.

“We’re going backmost to our areas, afloat of wounds and sorrow, but we convey God for this situation,” helium said smiling, a pinkish schoolhouse backpack strapped to his chest, holding a jerrycan afloat of h2o successful 1 manus and his young girl successful the other.

“God willing, everyone volition instrumentality to their areas,” the 32-year-old said, portion his 2 different daughters walked by his side, holding hands.

Areej Abu Saadeh, a Palestinian pistillate who mislaid a girl and a lad during the war, said she could not hold to get home.

“We’ve been displaced for 2 years now, surviving connected the sidewalks with nary structure and obscurity to stay,” she told AFP.

“We’re present connected our mode to Bani Suheila, moving — I conscionable privation to scope my place,” she said, referring to her municipality eastbound of Khan Yunis.

Israel had antecedently said each parties had signed the archetypal signifier of a ceasefire statement astatine talks this week successful Egypt, adding that Hamas freeing its remaining ...