The IDF began withdrawing from a key corridor Netzarim in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli officials said. This is part of Israel’s commitments under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
As part of the truce, Israel agreed to withdraw from the six-kilometre-long Netzarim corridor, a strip of land that divides the Gaza Strip into southern and northern parts. In January, Israel began allowing Palestinians to cross Netzarim to reach their homes in the war-torn north.
However, the sides appear to have made little progress in negotiating the second phase of the deal, which is supposed to extend the truce and lead to the release of more Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sending a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator in talks between the parties to the conflict. But the mission included low-level officials. That has led to speculation that there will be no progress on extending the truce. Netanyahu is also expected to convene a meeting of key ministers from his cabinet this week on the second phase of the deal.
The ceasefire agreement has repeatedly faced obstacles and disagreements between the parties since it came into force on January 19, underscoring its fragility.
On Sunday, vehicles loaded with belongings, including water tanks and suitcases, were travelling north on the road that crosses Netzarim. Under the agreement, Israel must allow the cars to pass without inspection, and there were no troops in the immediate vicinity of the road.
Israeli officials have not said how many soldiers are being withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor. Troops currently remain along Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt, and a full withdrawal is expected to be negotiated in a later phase of the truce.
During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Hamas gradually released 33 Israeli hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 attack in exchange for a pause in fighting, freedom for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a flow of humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza. The agreement also stipulates that Israeli troops will withdraw from populated areas of Gaza as well as the Netzarim corridor.
