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Israel declared a ceasefire and started pulling back troops in Gaza on Friday, as thousands of displaced Palestinians began to trek back to their wrecked homes.After two years of brutal war, the families of Israel’s remaining hostages in the territory were also hoping the truce — pushed by US President Donald Trump — would hold.The Israeli army said its troops had ceased fire at noon (0900 GMT) “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages”.Three hours later, the US Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the first phase of a pullback laid out in Trump’s peace plan. Israeli forces still hold around 53 percent of the Palestinian territory.The withdrawal set the clock running on a 72-hour deadline for Hamas to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.Israel, meanwhile, published the list of the 250 Palestinian prisoners it plans to release — along with 1,700 Gazans detained since Hamas triggered the latest conflict on October 7, 2023, with a brutal cross-border assault.As the ceasefire began, long columns of Palestinians, exhausted by two years of intense bombardment and what the UN has warned were famine conditions, began a trek back from the southern city of Khan Yunis towards their shattered homes further north.The EU mission at the Rafah border point between Gaza and Egypt will be reopening a pedestrian crossing on October 14, Italy said.Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas will hand over 47 hostages — living and dead — still held from the 251 abducted during the attack two years ago. The remains of one more hostage, held in Gaza since 2014, are also expected to be returned.Gaza’s civil defence agency confirmed that Israeli troops and armoured vehicles were pulling back from forward positions in both Gaza City and Khan Yunis.But Israel warned some areas were still off-limits and that Palestinians should steer clear of its forces while they are “in the midst of adjusting operational positions in the Gaza Strip”.- ‘Wounds and sorrow’ -“We’re going back to our areas, full of wounds and sorrow, but we thank God for this situation,” 32-year-old Ameer Abu Lyadeh told AFP in Khan Yunis.Before dawn on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the government had approved a framework of the hostage-release deal.”Citizens of Israel, two years ago, the Simhat Torah holiday became a day of national mourning,” Netanyahu said, referring to a Jewish festival that begins at nightfall on Monday.”This Simhat Torah, with God’s help, will be a day of national joy, celebrating the return of all our brothers and sisters held hostage,” he said.Israel had previously said all parties had signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement at talks this week in Egypt, adding that Hamas freeing its remaining Israeli captives would “bring the end to this war”.Despite celebrations in Israel and Gaza and a flood of congratulatory messages from world leaders, many issues remain unresolved, including Hamas’s disarmament and a proposed transitional authority for Gaza led by Trump.Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Qatar-based broadcaster Al Araby the Palestinian Islamist movement rejects the transitional authority.Trump said the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.Mohammed al-Mughayyir, an official from Gaza’s civil defence agency, said the areas Israeli troops were withdrawing from were Tel al-Hawa and Al-Shati camps in Gaza City, both of which had seen intense Israeli air and ground operations in recent weeks, and parts of Khan Yunis.- Joy and grief -Residents of several areas of the Gaza Strip also told AFP the Israeli military appeared to have withdrawn from positions it held on Thursday.Areej Abu Saadaeh, 53, who was displaced early in the conflict, was heading home between smashed piles of rubble and twisted steel, under a flat blue sky and clouds of cement dust.”I’m happy about the truce and peace, even though I’m a mother of a son and a daughter who were killed and I grieve for them deeply. Yet, the truce also brings joy: returning to our homes,” she said.

Full of grief after two years of war but glad to be going home, thousands of displaced Palestinians set off across the Gaza Strip on Friday, as a truce between Israel and Hamas took hold. Timidly at first, then in a huge column, thousands walked northwards in a line at least a kilometre long from the safer areas of central Gaza towards Gaza City, the scene of a gruelling Israeli offensive before Friday’s ceasefire.People chanted “God is great”, cheering and whistling in their joy as they walked on a recently opened Mediterranean seafront road, AFP journalists saw.Ibrahim al-Helou, a 40-year-old man from Gaza City displaced in the central refugee camp of Al-Maghazi, told AFP he was excited, but remained cautious.He said that when he began heading home, “the situation was dangerous, with gunfire, so I waited for a while”.”Now, the road has been opened and we have all continued on our way back to Gaza to check on our homes and assess the situation”.Ahmad Azzam, a 35-year-old who was also displaced to central Gaza from Gaza City, said he moved as soon as he heard of the troops pulling back.”When I heard news of the Israeli withdrawal and that the road would be opened in the coming hours, my family and I immediately headed to Al-Rashid Street to return to Gaza,” he told AFP.He added that, like Helou, he found the situation dangerous at first, and initially chose to wait on a hill overlooking the coastal road.”Only a few people are risking moving forward,” he said, speaking at noon, the time the troops’ pullback officially began.Israel’s military said Friday that troops “began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages”.It said in a separate statement in Arabic that Gaza’s main north-south axis, Salah Al-Din road, had also been reopened, but warned Gazans against approaching army troops still stationed inside the Palestinian territory.Israel government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists on Thursday that Israel’s military would redeploy to the so-called Yellow Line, as they gradually withdraw under a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.During this first part of the withdrawal process, the military will still hold about 53 percent of the Gaza Strip.- ‘Running’ -In the southern city of Khan Yunis, dozens walked back to their homes on paths cleared through piles of rubble accumulated from over two years of war and air strikes, an AFP journalist reported.Destroyed and damaged buildings, their facades torn off by blasts or crumbling upon their foundations, stood on all sides as the returnees walked in the morning sun, shortly after news spread that Israeli forces had withdrawn from parts of Khan Yunis.”We’re happy. Even if we return to ruins with no life, at least it’s our land,” Ameer Abu Iyadeh, a returnee, told AFP.”We’re going back to our areas, full of wounds and sorrow, but we thank God for this situation,” he said smiling, a pink school backpack strapped to his chest, holding a jerrycan full of water in one hand and his young daughter in the other.”God willing, everyone will return to their areas,” the 32-year-old said, while his two other daughters walked by his side, holding hands.Areej Abu Saadeh, a Palestinian woman who lost a daughter and a son during the war, said she could not wait to get home.”We’ve been displaced for two years now, living on the sidewalks with no shelter and nowhere to stay,” she told AFP.”We’re now on our way to Bani Suheila, running — I just want to reach my place,” she said, referring to her town east of Khan Yunis.Israel had previously said all parties had signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement at talks this week in Egypt, adding that Hamas freeing its remaining Israeli captives alive and dead would “bring the end to this war”.

Israeli forces declared a ceasefire and withdrew from some positions in Gaza on Friday, as thousands of displaced Palestinians began to trek home and the families of October 7 hostages awaited news.The Israeli army said that its troops had ceased fire at noon (0900 GMT) “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.”Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli troops and armoured vehicles were pulling back from forward positions in both Gaza City and Khan Yunis, and displaced Palestinian civilians told AFP they hoped to return home. Thousands of civilians could be seen by AFP journalists walking along a raised route on Gaza’s waterfront, as displaced Palestinians sought to return home after two years of intense fighting.- Wounds and sorrow -“We’re going back to our areas, full of wounds and sorrow, but we thank God for this situation,” 32-year-old Ameer Abu Lyadeh told AFP in Khan Yunis.  “God willing, everyone will return to their areas. We’re happy — even if we return to ruins with no life, at least it’s our land.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the government has approved a framework of a hostage release deal with Hamas, and the military confirmed it was “in the midst of adjusting operational positions in the Gaza Strip”.Before the ceasefire was announced, some fighting continued. An AFP video journalist filming Gaza from Israel reported large plumes of smoke and dust rising above northern Gaza on Friday morning.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was checking reports of new strikes. Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said a municipal worker had been killed by Israeli fire. Israel had previously said all parties had signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement at talks this week in Egypt, adding that Hamas freeing its remaining Israeli captives alive and dead would “bring the end to this war”.The agreement followed a 20-point peace plan announced last month by US President Donald Trump, who plans to leave on Sunday for the Middle East.Egypt is planning an event to celebrate the conclusion of the deal, while the families of 47 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack are waiting for their loved ones’ return.Despite celebrations in Israel and Gaza and a flood of congratulatory messages from world leaders, many issues remain unresolved, including Hamas’s disarmament and a proposed transitional authority for Gaza led by Trump.Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Qatar-based broadcaster Al Araby the Palestinian Islamist movement rejects this idea.Trump said the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan. “There will be disarming,” he told reporters, adding there would also be “pullbacks” by Israeli forces.Those pullbacks appeared to be underway on Friday.”Israeli forces have withdrawn from several areas in Gaza City,” said Mughayyir of the civil defence agency — a rescue unit that operates under Hamas authority.Mughayyir said the areas Israeli toops were withdrawing from were Tel al-Hawa and Al-Shati camps in Gaza City, both of which had seen intense Israeli air and ground operations in recent weeks, and parts of the southern city of Khan Yunis.- Joy and grief -Residents of several areas of the Gaza Strip also told AFP the Israeli military appeared to have withdrawn from positions that they held on Thursday.Long columns of Palestinians, exhausted by two years of intense bombardment and what the UN warned were famine conditions, began a trek back from Khan Yunis in the south towards their shattered homes further north.Areej Abu Saadaeh, 53, was displaced early in the conflict and is now heading home between smashed piles of rubble and twisted steel, under a flat blue sky and clouds of cement dust.”I’m happy about the truce and peace, even though I’m a mother of a son and a daughter who were killed and I grieve for them deeply. Yet, the truce also brings joy: returning to our homes,” she said.