The Israeli military completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor on a key highway in Gaza on Sunday as part of an ongoing ceasefire deal, a Hamas official told AFP.

"Israeli forces have dismantled their positions and military posts and completely withdrawn their tanks from the Netzarim Corridor on Salaheddin Road, allowing vehicles to pass freely in both directions," the official from the Hamas-run interior ministry said.

An AFP journalist at the scene said that no Israeli forces were present on Sunday.

The full withdrawal of troops from the corridor took place a day after Hamas and Israel conducted their fifth hostage-prisoner swap, in which militants released three Israeli captives in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Late Saturday, a senior Hamas official told AFP that, according to the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces had to withdraw from Salaheddin Road after the fifth swap was carried out.

"Mediators informed Hamas on Friday evening that Israeli forces would begin withdrawing from Salaheddin road on Sunday morning, dismantling the military checkpoint and surrounding positions," the official said, adding this would allow "free movement for civilians and vehicles".

AFP is unable to independently verify the details of the ceasefire agreement as its text has not been made public.

Asked about Sunday's withdrawal, An Israeli security official, who requested anonymity, told AFP: "We are preparing to implement the ceasefire agreement according to the guidelines of the political echelon."

AFP journalists reported cars, buses, pickup trucks and even donkey carts were seen travelling on Salaheddin Road from both the north and south.

In a significant development in the ceasefire deal, Israel reopened the highway late last month, but only to northbound traffic, permitting displaced Gazans to cross the Netzarim Corridor to return to their homes in the territory's north.

With the army's withdrawal, those in the north can now also cross the corridor heading south.

Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Israeli military had effectively cut off the northern part of the territory from the south by heavily fortifying the corridor.

Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill three Palestinians
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories (AFP) Feb 9, 2025 –

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces shot dead three civilians Sunday, as the military said it fired "warning shots" and hit Palestinians who had approached troops in the territory.

The incident occurred in Gaza City amid a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in effect since January 19. During the truce, five hostage-prisoner exchanges have taken place between Hamas and Israel.

Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, said there were "three martyrs and several injured as a result of Israeli occupation forces opening fire on civilians in the eastern areas of Gaza City".

He urged residents to avoid the eastern areas and Israeli military positions, emphasising the importance of following official directives.

Israel's military acknowledged that its forces had fired at individuals who approached their positions, saying, "troops advanced military vehicles and fired warning shots toward the suspects".

It added that "several hits were identified after the shots were fired, and those approaching the barrier retreated".

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Gazans against approaching soldiers still deployed inside Gaza.

"Israel's security policy regarding Gaza is clear: anyone who enters the buffer zone will pay the price," he said in a statement.

"There will be zero tolerance for any threat against IDF forces, the border area, or Israeli communities."

The military said it was committed to defending Israeli citizens and enforcing the ceasefire, warning Gazans to avoid approaching troops in the area.

As part of the three-week-old ceasefire, Israeli forces on Sunday withdrew from a key route that bisects the territory a day after the fifth hostage-prisoner swap was completed.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 48,189 people, the majority civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures which the United Nations considers reliable.