Israel withdraws from Netzarim Corridor that split Gaza in two: Palestinians return to the north
The Netzarim Corridor, which divided the Gaza Strip along a north-south line, had been under the occupation of Israeli forces. As part of the ceasefire agreement signed on January 19, Israeli forces fully withdrew from Netzarim today. It was reported that Palestinians have begun to pass through the area and move toward the north.
AA
It has been announced that the Israeli army has withdrawn its forces from the Netzarim Corridor in the Gaza Strip in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The corridor had divided Gaza in two along a north-south axis. With the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area, Palestinians have begun to return to settlements in northern Gaza. Israel has not made any statement regarding the withdrawal of its army forces from the region.
According to images from Gaza, the Israeli army has completed maneuvers to withdraw its units from the Netzarim Corridor, which separated the north and south of the Gaza Strip. Palestinians were seen moving on foot and in vehicles along the Netzarim Corridor, from which the Israeli army had withdrawn.
Speaking to AA on condition of anonymity, an Israeli military official noted that they were preparing to implement instructions received from political leadership. No official information has yet been shared by the Israeli army regarding the development.
The Netzarim Corridor, an empty area where the Israeli army, which has been steadily expanding its occupation of the Gaza Strip, blew up buildings in the center and destroyed agricultural land, became an occupation canton within 1.5 years that divided Gaza, which spans dozens of square kilometers, into north and south.
The current state of the area where the Netzarim Corridor is located Source: AA
NETZARIM CORRIDOR
Israeli officials announced that after beginning the ground invasion in Gaza, they occupied a line extending to the sea in the middle of Gaza in November 2023. During its occupation of the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for approximately 1.5 years, the Israeli army blew up and destroyed about 600 structures in the corridor that divided the region into north and south.
Palestinians, who were forced to migrate south in the face of the Israeli army's increased ground attacks and occupation in the northern Gaza Strip, were forced to go south through the Netzarim Corridor. Numerous images have appeared on social media showing Palestinians being targeted by the Israeli army while attempting to pass south or north along this line.
Gazans had begun returning to the north last week with the opening of 2 crossing points in the Netzarim Corridor. With the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the corridor, the siege on northern Gaza has been lifted. On the other hand, Israel's military presence in northern Gaza has not yet completely ended.
According to a report by the Haaretz newspaper, Israeli soldiers conducting occupation operations in Gaza described the Netzarim Corridor as a 'kill zone,' stating that those who approached it were targeted. It was announced that among the 200 Palestinians targeted and killed by Israeli soldiers, only 10 were Hamas members.
In the six-week first phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement in Gaza, the Israeli army was required to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor toward the border. As part of the agreement, the Netzarim Corridor was opened on January 27 for the passage of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from the south to the north.