Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Sunday (February 9) that the Israeli army has completely withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor in Gaza. This corridor is a crucial pathway that divides Gaza into two parts. The withdrawal is part of Israel’s commitment under the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
According to Reuters, an Israeli security official confirmed that the Israeli army is pulling out from positions in central Gaza. As of the time of reporting, Israel has not made an official statement regarding the withdrawal.
Videos from Reuters show Israeli military vehicles appearing to move away from the coastal area towards the Israeli border. The Israeli army occupied the Netzarim corridor early in the conflict with Hamas. The corridor is about 4 miles (6 kilometers) long and is located in the southern part of Gaza City.
This corridor separates northern communities in Gaza, including its largest urban area, from the southern communities.
As part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, the Israeli army began withdrawing from the Netzarim corridor two weeks ago. Since then, tens of thousands of Palestinians have crossed the corridor to return to their homes in northern Gaza, where they had been displaced to the southern region during the conflict.
After over 15 months of warfare, a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19. In recent weeks, former American soldiers employed by private contractors have been tasked with inspecting vehicles passing through the Netzarim corridor.
Israel maintains a military presence along the borders separating Gaza from Egypt and Israel. The Netzarim corridor still includes a checkpoint managed by Egyptian and Qatari officials. These two countries played a mediating role during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The ceasefire agreement is currently in its initial stage, and negotiations for the second phase are expected to begin soon. The second phase is anticipated to involve Hamas releasing remaining hostages, a complete Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza, and both sides negotiating a “permanent end to hostilities.”