Displaced Palestinians are waiting for Israel to allow them to return home

Thousands of displaced Palestinians have been barred from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel blocked a main road, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of a ceasefire agreement.

The dispute came after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers – and Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.

But the Israeli government said Gazans would not be allowed to travel north until plans were developed to release Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud. Hamas has insisted she is alive and will be released next week.

According to the agreement, Hamas would release the civilians before the soldiers.

On Saturday evening, as crowds gathered along Al-Rashid Street in Central Gaza to return home, gunshots were reportedly fired.

Reuters News Agency, citing the Hamas-run Health Ministry, and Palestinian media reported that one person was killed and several wounded.

Four gunshots can be heard in a reported video of the incident that was posted online. BBC Verify has confirmed the location of the footage, but the BBC has been unable to independently verify reports of a victim.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops in central Gaza had opened fire after “several gatherings of dozens of suspects posing a threat to the forces were identified.”

“Contrary to the reports appearing in the last hours, all the shootings in the area were carried out for the purpose of distancing and not for the purpose of harm. We emphasize that at this stage, no injuries to the suspects are known to have occurred as a result of the shooting”.

Earlier on Saturday, Muhammad Emad Al-Din was one of thousands waiting to return home to Northern Gaza.

“I know my house can be destroyed, but I’m going to make a tent over its remains. I just want to go back,” he told the BBC by phone.

“I need to look for my job. I am a barber in Gaza, and I have been trying to figure out how to repair the damage in my salon and restart my business. I have become indebted to so many people, and I can “T you can buy the simplest things for my children,” he added.

“All I want is for this dispute between Hamas and Israel to end and for us to be allowed to return to our homes in the North. We have not seen our loved ones for more than 15 months.”

The Netzarim Corridor is a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) strip of land controlled by Israel that cuts off Northern Gaza from the rest of the territory.

Lubna Nassar arrived with her two daughters and son in a donkey cart in the afternoon, hoping to return home and reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she has not seen in 11 months.

“I will stay here, as close as possible to the Israeli checkpoint. For months, my daughters have been waiting for the moment to meet their father. I want to be among the first to back to Gaza,” she said.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators are making progress in their efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.

But Israeli tanks are still blocking the coastal road where people had to walk north.

The Israelis have asked Hamas to broker proof of life for Ms. Yehud, and it appears that Hamas has given it to the Egyptians.

Four female Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 were released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire deal that also saw 200 Palestinian prisoners released.

Meanwhile, many Gazans watch anxiously for any progress that might allow them to return.

For many, the hope of recovery outweighs the reality of what lies ahead – the rubble and destruction.

However, the dream of getting their lives back, rebuilding their homes and reuniting with their families is keeping their spirits alive.