Thousands of Palestinians Flock to Northern Gaza After US-Negotiated Ceasefire Takes Effect
Following the implementation of the US-negotiated ceasefire, thousands of Palestinians began flocking to northern Gaza on Friday, driven by anxiety to discover what remains of their destroyed homes and apprehension about new challenges. Nearly the entire population of 2.2 million people in Gaza has been displaced by the war that erupted in October 2023, following the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, which, according to Israeli statistics, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages taken to the enclave. According to local health officials, the Israeli aerial and ground campaign has claimed more than 67,000 lives, transformed much of the coastal strip into vast expanses of ruins and debris, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. The Israeli army announced that the ceasefire agreement took effect at 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Friday. Following this announcement, a crowd of Palestinians rushed on foot along the Gaza coastal road, heading towards their former homes in the north, which suffered significant destruction.
