Gaza ceasefire latest: Thousands of Palestinians return to northern Gaza after hostage agreement reached

'We must return to war - and destroy': Ben-Gvir slams Israel allowing Palestinians to return home

Former Israeli security minister and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir has slammed the return of Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza. 

"The entry of tens of thousands of Gazans into the northern Gaza Strip are images of Hamas's victory and another humiliating part of the reckless deal," he said.

"This is not what 'complete victory' looks like - this is what complete surrender looks like.

"The heroic [Israeli] soldiers did not fight and give their lives in the Gaza Strip to make these photos possible. We must return to war - and destroy!"

Ben-Gvir resigned his post earlier this month in a protest of the ceasefire deal and has long called for Israel to occupy Gaza and for the war to continue.

Israel and Lebanon agree to extend deadline for IDF to withdraw

Away from Gaza for a moment - and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon yesterday opened fire on protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22 and injuring 124, Lebanese health officials said. 

Hours later, the White House that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend the deadline for IDF troops to depart southern Lebanon until 18 February, after an Israeli request. 

That's beyond the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.

Israel has said that it needs to stay longer because the Lebanese army has not deployed to all areas of southern Lebanon to ensure that Hezbollah does not re-establish its presence in the area. 

The Lebanese army has said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw.

The White House said in a statement that "the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until 18 February".

The confusion over the release of Arbel Yehoud

Israel insisted that hostage Arbel Yehoud be released last week.

This is because she is a woman, a civilian and alive, so therefore should be in the top category of hostages freed in this first phase of the ceasefire.

However Hamas, without giving a reason, didn't release her.

It's suspected she could be being held by Islamic Jihad, another militant group in Gaza.

As a result, Israel blocked the return of Palestinian civilians from returning to the north of Gaza. 

But by releasing four IDF soldiers, as Hamas did on Saturday, they secured the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners, including many high-profile detainees.

This is many more prisoners than if Hamas had released civilians.

It's possible the group was wary of the ceasefire's fragility and so wants as many Palestinians released now in case the deal collapses in the coming weeks.

Now, Hamas has said it will release Yehoud on Thursday - prompting the return of Palestinians to the north. 

Trump's comments on Gaza trigger tensions with his Arab-American supporters

The chairman of a coalition, which successfully lobbied Arab-Americans to vote for Donald Trump, has slammed the new president for his weekend comments on Gaza.

"Arab-Americans for Trump firmly rejects President Donald J Trump's suggestion to remove - voluntarily or forcibly - Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt and Jordan," said Dr Bishara Bahbah, national chair of Arab Americans for Trump.

The statement signals an early sign of tension with a key demographic which helped push President Trump over the line in November.

A critical number of Arab-Americans in places like Michigan helped propel Trump to victory. Small margins in cities like Dearborn and Hamtramck were key to Trump's success.

The statement, released late on Sunday and described as an "urgent press release", said: "We strongly believe that the ONLY resolution to the Israel-Palestine is a two-state solution… Arab Americans for Trump thank the President for imposing a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We expect that the President and his team work on the rebuilding of Gaza and launching the process that would culminate in the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel."

A day of victory, says displaced Palestinian

A displaced Palestinian man returning to northern Gaza has pledged to rebuild his home after it was destroyed following 15 months of Israeli bombardment. 

"I will start rebuilding my home - brick by brick, wall by wall," he told Al Jazeera. 

"We will start by removing the debris and rebuild it all over again."

He added defiantly that the day was one of victory despite the massive losses felt by so many in Gaza. 

"After 15 months of suffering as Palestinians, as Gazans, namely as residents of Shujayea refugee camp, this is a day of joy," he said, referring to an area of Gaza City. 

"Although our homes have been destroyed flat into the earth, the entire north has been turned into scorched earth, despite our pain, our grief, the destruction, this is a day of victory."

Tens of thousands leave tent camps - but will only find rubble

While there is jubilation among Palestinians able to travel back to their homes in northern Gaza, many will only find rubble, our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says. 

"Many of them have been displaced several times over - they've been living in tented camps in dreadful conditions - but they are now finally able to return to the north, to Gaza City and other towns. 

"But what they will find there is an area that has been almost entirely destroyed," he says. 

Fifteen months of war have left much of Gaza in ruins - with estimates that some 60% of buildings have been levelled.

The north, the first area targeted by Israel, is among the areas hardest hit.  

Bunkall also says the manner of this morning's events underline the fragility of this ceasefire agreement - after confusion over the fate of civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud.

Israel had insisted that Yehoud be released on Saturday because she is a woman, a civilian and alive, and therefore should have been in the top category of hostages freed, according to the ceasefire agreement.

When she wasn't, the checkpoints between northern and southern Gaza were kept closed by Israel.

Now it's been confirmed she will be released on Thursday - allowing the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in this north this morning. 

"This ceasefire remains fragile - there's no guarantee it will move from the first phase into a next stage," Bunkall says. 

Return to northern Gaza follows latest hostage-prisoner swap

Over the weekend, four Israeli soldiers held by Hamas were released and 200 Palestinian prisoners freed as part of a ceasefire deal that has brought an end to 15 months of brutal fighting in Gaza.

Hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and 19-year-old Liri Albag, were all serving with the Israel Defence Forces when they were captured on October 7 2023.

Surrounded by armed Hamas fighters on Saturday morning, the women waved and smiled as they were led on to a podium in Gaza City before being guided to Red Cross vehicles waiting to take them to a border point to be handed to the IDF, and then travelled back to Israel.

The Palestinian prisoners, all wearing grey tracksuits, were seen getting off a large white coach before they were mobbed by a jubilant crowd. After initially walking, the prisoners were soon lifted onto the shoulders of those in the crowd to carry them away.

Thousands to return to northern Gaza today - after agreement reached over civilian hostage

Thousands of Palestinians will return to their homes in northern Gaza today. 

Tens of thousands of people had, up to now, been blocked from returning to northern Gaza after Israel refused to open checkpoints - claiming Hamas had breached the ceasefire agreement.

But Israel has now allowed the movement of those displaced after Hamas announced it would release another round of hostages on Thursday, including Arbel Yehoud.

Israel had insisted that Yehoud be released on Saturday because she is a woman, a civilian and alive, and therefore should have been in the top category of hostages freed, according to the agreement.

When she wasn't, the checkpoints remained closed.

As well as Yehoud, who was expected to be released yesterday, two more hostages including soldier Agam Berger will be released, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

-SKY NEWS