People in Gaza celebrate as the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect on Sunday, 19 January
CAIRO – 9 February 2025: The Israeli army commenced its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning as part of the current ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas.
According to Israeli reports, the withdrawal is anticipated to be completed today.
The Netzarim Corridor served to divide the Gaza Strip into northern and southern regions, blocking displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes in the north.
The corridor had been under Israeli control since the onset of the war in 2023, remaining closed to civilian foot and vehicle traffic throughout the war.
The Israeli withdrawal from the crossing began in late January, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the northern part of the Strip.
Today’s move follows the implementation of a fifth prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel on Saturday, which involved the exchange of three Israeli captives for 183 Palestinian prisoners.
The newly-freed captives released are Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy.
Meanwhile, the released Palestinian prisoners include 111 who were captured by Israeli forces in Gaza after the onset of the war.
The remaining 72 prisoners consist of 42 from the West Bank, three from East Jerusalem, and 27 from Gaza, according to Palestinian official data.
The current ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect on 19 January, following over 15 months of war that devastated the enclave, killing more than 47,000 Palestinians and displacing most of the population.
Since the ceasefire began, Hamas and Israel have exchanged a total of 766 Palestinian prisoners and 21 captives—16 Israelis and 5 Thai nationals.
Dozens more captives are still held in Gaza.
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