Palestinians' return on hold as Israel accuses Hamas of breaching truce deal

Thousands of displaced Palestinians person been prevented from returning to their homes successful the northbound of the Gaza Strip, aft Israel blocked a main road, accusing Hamas of breaching the presumption of the ceasefire deal.

The quality came aft Hamas released 4 Israeli pistillate soldiers - and Israel freed 200 Palestinian prisoners.

But the Israeli authorities said Gazans would not beryllium allowed to question northbound until plans were successful spot for the merchandise of Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud. Hamas has insisted that she is live and volition beryllium freed adjacent week.

According to the deal, Hamas was to merchandise civilians earlier soldiers.

On Saturday evening, arsenic crowds gathered on al-Rashid roadworthy successful cardinal Gaza to instrumentality home, gunshots were reportedly fired.

Reuters quality agency, citing the Hamas-run wellness ministry, and Palestinian media reported 1 idiosyncratic had been killed and immoderate injured.

Four gunshots tin beryllium heard successful a video reportedly of the incidental that was posted online. BBC Verify has authenticated the determination of footage, but the BBC has not been capable to independently verify reports of a casualty.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops successful cardinal Gaza had fired shots aft "several gatherings of dozens of suspects were identified who posed a menace to the forces".

"Contrary to reports emerging successful caller hours, each of the shooting successful the country was carried retired for the intent of distancing and not aimed astatine harm. We emphasise that arsenic of this stage, nary injuries to the suspects are known to person occurred arsenic a effect of the shooting."

Earlier connected Saturday, Muhammad Emad Al-Din was 1 of the thousands waiting to instrumentality location to bluish Gaza.

"I cognize my location mightiness beryllium destroyed, but I'll transportation a structure implicit its remains. I conscionable privation to spell back," helium told the BBC implicit the phone.

"I request to reclaim my work. I americium a barber successful Gaza, and I've been trying to fig retired however to repair the harm to my salon and restart my business. I've go indebted to truthful galore people, and I can't spend to bargain the simplest things for my children," helium added.

"All I privation for is for this quality betwixt Hamas and Israel to extremity and for america to beryllium allowed to determination backmost to our homes successful the north. We haven't seen our loved ones for much than 15 months."

The Netzarim Corridor is simply a seven-kilometre (4.3-mile) portion of onshore controlled by Israel that cuts disconnected northbound Gaza from the remainder of the territory.

Lubna Nassar arrived with her 2 daughters and lad connected a donkey cart successful the afternoon, hoping to instrumentality to her location and reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she has not seen successful 11 months.

"I volition enactment here, arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to the Israeli checkpoint. For months, my daughters person been waiting for the infinitesimal to conscionable their father. I privation to beryllium among the archetypal to instrumentality to Gaza," she said.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators are making advancement successful their efforts to let hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to instrumentality backmost to the north.

But Israeli tanks are inactive blocking the coastal roadworthy wherever radical were expected to locomotion into the north.

The Israelis person asked the mediators for impervious of beingness from Hamas for Ms Yehud, and it seems that Hamas has fixed this to the Egyptians.

Four pistillate Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas connected 7 October 2023 were released connected Saturday arsenic portion of the ceasefire statement which besides saw 200 Palestinian prisoners freed.

Meanwhile, galore Gazans ticker anxiously for immoderate breakthrough that could let them to return.

For many, the anticipation of returning outweighs the world of what awaits them - ruins and destruction.

Yet the imagination of reclaiming their lives, rebuilding their homes and reuniting with their families are keeping their spirits alive.