The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that entered last week on Sunday is fragile. The enormous crowd that arose this Sunday at the Netzarim-corridor proves this, a passage that cuts the north of the Gaza Strip from the rest of Gaza and is monitored by Israel. The corridor would open on Saturday in accordance with the agreements between Israel and Hamas, but remained closed longer than agreed.
Part of the truce between Israel and Hamas was the agreement that displaced Palestinians were gradually returning to their houses in the north of Gaza from the south. But Israel accuses Hamas of not complying with the agreements.
One of the Israeli hostages, Arbel Yehud (28) would be released last Friday, but she is still in the hands of Hamas. That is why Israel kept the border closed on Saturday and Sunday. Hamas has announced that he will leave Yehud free on 1 February.
Thousands of Gazanen therefore stranded along the coast, with their property and their hope for return. The border between North and South is a military zone of about four kilometers wide. On Sunday, Israel would open the Al-Rashidweg, a coastal road that is currently blocked by the Corridor, for Palestinian pedestrians. But also the Salah Al-Dinstraat, which would open for cars, remained closed.
Trump wants to clean Gaza
The US President Donald Trump suggested Sunday that the majority of the Gazan population should at least be temporarily taken care of in neighboring countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, to “clean up” the territory. According to Trump, Egypt should take care of about one and a half million Gazans alone. “We’re going to clean up the whole event there and then can say: it’s over.”
Almost the entire civilian population of Gaza, around 2.3 million people, often became displaced during the war, often several times in a row. Trump not only hinted at temporary care in neighboring countries, but also on permanent migration. Saturday he said Hoping that other Arab countries build houses for the refugees, “where the Palestinians might live in peace, for a change.”
‘Palestinians will not accept this’
The Palestinian and Jordanian authorities immediately rejected Trumps suggestion. Egypt has previously strongly expressed the idea of taking care of large groups of Palestinians. The authorities there fear that Israel will then no longer let the refugees Gaza.
Hamas also responded and announced that Palestinians would not accept such a proposal, “also not under the apparently well -intended mom of reconstruction.” According to Hamas, the Palestinians will “build Gaza better than it was” if Israel will eliminate the blockade.
Cried of the cold
The BBC Speaked with Gazanen waiting at the border crossing to North Gaza. “We slept here,” said a Palestinian man on Sunday. “The children cried all night of the cold, that’s why we made a campfire.”
“People say that in the north there are no more landmarks in the north,” someone else said. “I want to see that with my own eyes.”
