Israel begins crucial pullout from Gaza's Netzarim corridor
Israel has begun withdrawing its forces from the critical Netzarim corridor in the Gaza Strip as part of a ceasefire with Hamas, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, citing an Israeli official.
Israel has started pulling its forces out of the Netzarim corridor in the Gaza Strip, which is part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. This corridor divides the Gaza Strip into northern and southern parts.
Withdrawal of Israeli forces
Soon after the announcement, representatives of the Palestinian organization Hamas confirmed that the Israeli army had already left the corridor. Two weeks earlier, Israel had withdrawn soldiers from the western part of the corridor, enabling Palestinians to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
According to the agreement, Israel was to withdraw from the entire corridor on the 21st day of the truce, which means Sunday. Israeli soldiers are also present in the Philadelphi corridor, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt. They are expected to withdraw from there on the 50th day of the ceasefire.
Ceasefire
The ceasefire is in effect from January 19 to early March. It includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, allowing refugees to return to their hometowns, increasing humanitarian aid supplies, and exchanging Hamas hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.
The prospects for extending the agreement and achieving a lasting truce remain uncertain.
