A ceasefire has begun between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israeli troops have withdrawn from some populated areas, prompting thousands of displaced Gazans to return home. However, Israel still controls around 53% of the enclave, including key border zones. The IDF has warned civilians to avoid areas where its troops remain stationed.
A ceasefire has taken effect in the besieged Gaza Strip between Israel’s occupying forces and the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
Under the terms of the truce, Israeli troops began pulling out from Gaza’s densely populated areas around 5:00 p.m. Bangladesh time on Friday (October 10). As the withdrawal began, residents started making their way back to their homes.
Gaza-based media reported that thousands of people flooded the coastal roads. After spending the night waiting along Al-Rashid Street by the sea, crowds set out toward their shattered homes in northern Gaza once Israeli forces had retreated.
Following the official start of the ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a cautionary statement. In it, IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee warned civilians not to enter areas where Israeli soldiers were still stationed.
According to The Times of Israel, although troops have left Gaza’s heavily populated zones, Israeli forces continue to maintain control over roughly 53 percent of the enclave. This includes the buffer zone along the Gaza-Israel border, where countless homes have been demolished.
Israeli forces also remain deployed along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, as well as across large parts of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya in the north, and Rafah and Khan Younis in the south. The IDF cautioned that entering these areas could pose severe risks to civilians.