In a statement on Sunday, Hamas said that the return of the displaced Palestinian people to their homes and the ongoing exchange of prisoners refuses Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim of achieving victory in the enclave.
“Gaza will remain a land liberated by the hands of its people and its fighters, and forbidden to the occupying invaders and any external force,” the statement read.
The statement came after Israeli troops completed their withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor, a military zone that separates northern Gaza from the south.
As Israeli forces cleared their military positions along the strip of land on Sunday, hundreds of displaced Palestinians began to make their journey back home.
The withdrawal is part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on January 19, which has so far resulted in the release of 16 Israeli prisoners and 566 Palestinians.
Early in the war, about 700,000 residents of northern Gaza were forced to flee to the south following mass evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military.
Many faced further displacements as Israeli forces advanced into southern Gaza. They had also been prevented from returning to the north through the Netzarim Corridor.
SD/IRN
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