Tens of thousands return to northern Gaza as US-brokered ceasefire takes hold

Tens of thousands of Palestinians began returning to the devastated northern Gaza Strip on Friday, 10 October, as a US-brokered ceasefire took effect, raising hopes of an end to the two-year Israel-Hamas war. Under the deal, all remaining hostages are expected to be released within days.

The truce marks a pivotal moment in efforts to halt the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left nearly 90 per cent of Gaza’s population of two million displaced, many of them multiple times. For those now heading home, the return is bittersweet: most are finding little more than rubble where their houses once stood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the start of the ceasefirein a televised address, saying the next phase would require Hamas to disarm and Gaza to be “demilitarised.” “If this is achieved the easy way, so be it. If not, it will be achieved the hard way,” he warned.

The Israeli military said its forces would pull back to agreed lines but continue operating “defensively” from roughly half of Gaza, which they still control. The truce follows years of relentless bombardment since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is expected to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages, roughly 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The handovers are scheduled to begin by Monday, though Egyptian and Hamas officials suggested they could start as early as Sunday night.

The Palestinian people return to their homes and lands in North Gaza.

Survivors of a genocide, exhausted, bereaved, but determined to live on their ancestral land in freedom and dignity.

🎥 Mohammed Abu Samra pic.twitter.com/XXLccX4BEC

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) January 27, 2025

US to send about 200 troops to ‘oversee’ Gaza ceasefire deal

Hundreds of thousands of forcibly expelled Palestinians return to the rubble of their homes in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip upon the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from their areas.

"We never get bored of returning to our homes" one Palestinian wrote as she… pic.twitter.com/cOv0RTfwMm

— Maha Hussaini (@MahaGaza) October 10, 2025

A relative of one of the hostages presumed dead, Stephen Brisley whose sister Lianne Sharabi and her two teenage daughters were killed in the initial Hamas attack  said families were holding on to “a measured sense of hope.” His brother-in-law, Eli Sharabi, was later released, but another relative, Yossi, is believed to have died in an airstrike. “We hold our hope lightly because we’ve had our hopes dashed before,” Brisley told the Associated Press from South Wales.

The United Nations confirmed that Israel had granted approval for a large-scale resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza starting Sunday. A UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 170,000 metric tonnes of supplies, including food, fuel, and medical aid, are staged in Jordan and Egypt, awaiting entry.

Fuel and essential goods have already begun passing through the Kerem Shalom crossing, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, though officials continue to press Israel to open more border points and ensure safe access for aid workers and civilians returning north.

According to UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, aid agencies have managed to deliver only about 20 per cent of Gaza’s needs in recent months, amid severe malnutrition and famine conditions caused by the blockade and fighting.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu and his former defence minister, alleging the use of starvation as a weapon of war, charges Israel strongly denies.

As the ceasefire took hold, long lines of Palestinians, many on foot, made their way along the coastal road toward northern Gaza. The scenes mirrored earlier returns during brief truces but with even greater devastation this time after weeks of renewed Israeli offensives in Gaza City and surrounding areas.

“There wasn’t much joy, but the ceasefire somewhat eased the pain of death and bloodshed,” said Jamal Mesbah, a displaced resident preparing to return north.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, returning residents described entire neighbourhoods reduced to ruins. “There was nothing left, just a few clothes, pieces of wood and pots,” said Fatma Radwan. Others were still pulling bodies from the rubble. “We came to a place that is unidentifiable,” said Hani Omran. “Destruction is everywhere.”

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, shaped under President Donald Trump’s plan, envisions Israel maintaining an open-ended military presence along Gaza’s border while an international force, largely comprising Arab and Muslim troops, oversees internal security. Washington is expected to lead a vast reconstruction effort funded by international donors.

The proposal also hints at a potential future role for the Palestinian Authority, a notion long opposed by Netanyahu, though it would require major internal reforms before taking over governance in Gaza. The plan remains vague on prospects for an independent Palestinian state, which Israel’s current leadership continues to reject.

For now, the guns have fallen silent, at least temporarily, in a territory where destruction and displacement have become near total. Whether this fragile truce holds and paves the way for peace will depend on whether both sides honour the commitments made and the world sustains its focus on rebuilding a shattered Gaza.