Gazans Return to Ruins as Israeli Troops Withdraw Under Ceasefire Agreement

Thousands of displaced Palestinians began making their way back to their devastated homes on Friday after Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza under a newly implemented ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Crowds of Gazans trudged north through clouds of dust and rubble toward Gaza City — the territory’s largest urban center — which only days earlier had endured one of Israel’s most intense assaults of the war.

“I thank God my house is still standing,” said 40-year-old Ismail Zayda from the Sheikh Radwan district. “But the place is destroyed — my neighbors’ homes are gone, whole neighborhoods wiped out.”

Ceasefire Takes Effect; Hostage Releases Expected Within 72 Hours
The Israeli military confirmed that the ceasefire came into effect at noon local time (0900 GMT). Earlier on Friday, the Israeli government formally announced the truce with Hamas, paving the way for a partial troop withdrawal from Gaza and a complete halt to hostilities within 24 hours.

Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 20 Israeli hostages within 72 hours. In return, Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving long sentences in Israeli prisons and another 1,700 detained during the war in Gaza.

U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that the Israeli army had completed the first phase of its withdrawal and that the hostage-release process had begun.

Once the deal is fully operational, trucks carrying food and medical supplies will enter Gaza to assist millions who have been living in makeshift tents since Israeli bombardments destroyed their homes and leveled entire towns.

The troop pullback marks the first stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year-long war. Israeli forces are to withdraw from several key urban areas but will continue to control roughly half the enclave.

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops would remain in Gaza to ensure the next stages of Trump’s plan — demilitarization of the territory and disarmament of Hamas — are implemented. “If it can be achieved easily, good,” he said. “If not, it will be achieved the hard way.”

Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin urged Gazans to avoid entering areas still under Israeli control. “Respect the agreement and ensure your safety,” he said Friday.

Israeli Forces Pull Back from Central and Southern Gaza
In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, some Israeli forces withdrew from eastern positions near the border, though residents reported hearing tank shelling. In the central Nuseirat refugee camp, troops dismantled positions and moved eastward toward the Israeli border, though sporadic gunfire was still heard early Friday.

Israeli units also retreated along the Mediterranean coast road leading to Gaza City.

“When we heard about the ceasefire, we were overjoyed,” said 40-year-old Mahdi Sakla. “We are ready to return home — though there are no homes left. Just being back where our homes once stood, even over the rubble, brings relief. For two years, we’ve been displaced and suffering.”

Hamas Leader: Guarantees Secured, ‘The War Is Over’
The war has deepened Israel’s international isolation and destabilized the Middle East, drawing in Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon. It has also strained U.S.-Israel ties as Trump, losing patience with Netanyahu, pressed him to reach a deal.

The announcement has sparked celebrations on both sides — the most significant breakthrough yet toward ending the two-year conflict that has killed over 67,000 Palestinians. It also paves the way for the release of the last remaining hostages captured in the Hamas-led attack that triggered the war.

Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, said the group had received assurances from the U.S. and other mediators that the war was “officially over.”

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on Israeli communities and a music festival, killing 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.

Twenty Israeli hostages are believed to remain alive in Gaza, while 26 are presumed dead and two are unaccounted for. Hamas has indicated that retrieving the bodies could take longer than releasing the living captives.

Challenges Remain
Even as the ceasefire takes hold, uncertainties persist. Neither side has published the list of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for the Israeli hostages. Hamas continues to demand the release of several high-profile detainees.

Trump’s 20-point peace framework also leaves unresolved issues — including who will govern the devastated Gaza Strip once the fighting stops, and the fate of Hamas, which has rejected Israel’s demand for full disarmament.

Hamas’s interior ministry said it would deploy security forces in areas vacated by Israeli troops. It remains unclear whether armed militants will return to the streets — a move Israel could interpret as provocation.

Trump announced he would visit the region on Sunday, possibly for a signing ceremony in Egypt. Israeli police said preparations were underway for his visit on Monday, while Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana invited him to address Israel’s parliament.