The displaced Palestinians are waiting for Israel to allow them to return to their country
Thousands of displaced Palestinians have been prevented from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel blocked a major road over alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas.
The dispute comes after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers and Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.
But the Israeli government says Gazans will not be allowed to travel north until a plan is in place to evacuate Israeli civilian Arbel Yuhud. Hamas insists she is alive and will be freed next week.
According to the agreement, Hamas had to evacuate civilians before the soldiers.
On Saturday evening, shots were fired as people gathered to return home on al-Rashid Road in central Gaza.
Reuters news agency cited the Hamas-run health ministry as saying one person had been killed and several wounded in Palestinian media.
In a video posted online, four gunshots can be heard. BBC Verify confirmed the location of the footage, but the BBC was unable to independently verify the victim reports.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops in central Gaza opened fire after “several groups of dozens of suspects posing a threat to the army were discovered.”
“Contrary to the reports that have been coming out since the last few hours, the shooting in the area was not aimed at avoiding and harming. We emphasize that there were no injuries to the suspects at this stage. The result of the shooting.”
Earlier on Saturday, Mohammed Imad al-Din was one of thousands waiting to return home to northern Gaza.
“I know my house may be destroyed, but I’m going to pitch a tent over the corpse, I want to come back,” he told the BBC by phone.
“I need to get my job back. I’m a hairdresser in Gaza, and I’m trying to figure out how to fix the damage to my salon and start my business. I owe a lot of people, and I can. I can’t afford to buy the simplest things for my children,” he added.
I just wish for this conflict between Hamas and Israel to end and for us to return to our homes in the north. We haven’t seen our loved ones for over 15 months.
The Netzarim Corridor is a seven-kilometer (4.3 mi) strip of land under Israeli control that cuts northern Gaza off from the rest of the territory.
Lubna Nassar returned home with her two daughters and son on a donkey cart in the afternoon, hoping to meet her husband Sultan, who she had seen for 11 months.
“I will stay here as long as possible at 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 return to Gaza,” she said.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators are making progress in efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.
But Israeli tanks are still blocking the coastal road through which people were supposed to go north.
The Israelis asked the mediators from Hamas for proof of life for Ms. Jew, and Hamas apparently gave this to the Egyptians.
Four female Israeli soldiers held hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 were freed on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement, and 200 Palestinian prisoners were also freed.
Meanwhile, many Gazans eagerly await any breakthrough that would allow them to return.
For many, the prospect of recovery outweighs the reality of destruction and devastation.
But their dreams of getting their lives back, rebuilding their homes and being reunited with their families are keeping their spirits alive.