Jerusalem, Feb 10 (EFE).- The Israeli military announced Monday that it will allow Palestinians who use the Salah al-Din road, which runs through Gaza parallel to the border with Israel, to return on foot to the north, after its troops completely withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, which separated Gaza into two halves, a day earlier.
Palestinians make their way along Salah Al Din road amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip, 03 February 2025. EFE-EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
“Based on the agreement that was reached and after the completion of the preparations of the IDF forces, the return of the residents on foot to the northern Gaza Strip via Salah al-Din Street will be permitted,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X.
Gazans will also be able to continue crossing to the north via the Rashid road, which runs along the coast and which more than half a million people used to return to their homes when Israel began its partial withdrawal from Netzarim on Jan. 27.
Vehicles will be able to access the north and return via the Salah al-Din road, where they have to through control scanners managed by US companies.
“We call on you to refrain from cooperating with any terrorist group seeking to exploit you in order to transfer combat equipment or prohibited materials,” Adraee added in the statement addressed to residents of the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the military spokesperson warned Palestinians not to approach the Philadelphi Corridor, the border strip between Gaza and Egypt, still controlled by Israeli troops, as well as the Rafah crossing.
On Sunday, Israeli troops retreated to a buffer zone of between 500 meters and around a kilometer depending on the area after completely withdrawing from Netzarim, the road crossing Gaza from east to west and established by the IDF during the war to isolate the north from the south of the enclave.
Although the military’s announcement was made on Monday, EFE was able to a day earlier that several Palestinians had already crossed the corridor through the eastern areas throughout the day.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Palestinians trying to return to their homes as they entered this buffer zone on Sunday, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The military confirmed to EFE that the three Palestinians arrived in the buffer zone about 300 meters from the troops, near the Israeli community of Nahal Oz at the border.
“We are enforcing the ceasefire agreements. This requires us to act with force to enforce them. We are doing this both in the south and in the north,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday in a rare statement, since he does not usually comment on the deaths of Gazans in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began in the enclave, and which exceed 50.
“My instruction this evening is – no one is to approach the perimeter, and no one is to infiltrate the perimeter,” he added. EFE
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