By Mohammad al-Sawalhi, Ibrahim Dahman and Sophie Tanno

(CNN) — Israel completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor on Sunday, a militarized zone that splits Gaza in half, as part of its commitments under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have filed through the area, many of them returning decimated homes in the north, by foot, car and in some cases, by donkeys. People traveling through the corridor must still navigate a checkpoint and the destruction wrought by 15 months of Israeli bombardment.

“I was displaced a long time ago. I have seen people arriving on this road, sometimes even sleeping on it while waiting for the Israeli army to withdraw,” said Osama Saleem, who was waiting for his vehicle to be inspected.

“I hope the Israeli army withdraws from all of Gaza and that life returns to normal,” he added.

Hamas said in a statement that Israeli forces had fully withdrawn from the corridor, a six-kilometer strip of land that separates the north of the territory from the south and stretches from the Israel-Gaza border to the Mediterranean Sea.

Named after the former Israeli settlement of Netzarim in Gaza, the corridor was constructed and occupied by the Israeli military to create a strategic, central road intersecting the enclave.

“The withdrawal of the Zionist occupation army from the Netzarim axis is a victory for the will of our people,” a Hamas statement issued Sunday said.

There has been no confirmation from Israel, but reporters working for CNN on the ground said there were no Israeli forces present at the crossing on Sunday.

Israel had used the corridor as a zone of occupation during its 15-month assault on Gaza. Its troops began withdrawing from Netzarim Corridor two weeks ago as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.

In the first 72 hours after Israeli forces opened the corridor, around 500,000 displaced Palestinians — almost a quarter of Gaza’s population — had made the journey to the decimated north, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

Israel retains its presence along Gaza’s borders with Egypt and Israel.

A checkpoint run by Egyptian and Qatari officials — countries that play a mediator role between the warring sides — remains at Netzarim.

Israel’s complete withdrawal from Netzarim is part of its commitment to the ceasefire and hostage agreement, which on Saturday saw the release of three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners.

So far, 16 out of a total of 33 hostages expected to be released in the first — and current — phase of the deal have been freed.

Separately, hours after Israel troops withdrew from the corridor, Israel forces opened fire near Nahal Oz, an Israeli kibbutz that lies close to the Gaza border - and was attacked during the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 - killing three Palestinians, Palestinian authorities said. Others were wounded in the incident, Gaza’s Civil Defense said, without specifying how many people had been injured.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it fired warning shots towards “suspects” who had approached the border fence in northern Gaza, and that “several hits were identified,” without acknowledging whether any civilians were killed or if any actually entered the buffer zone area. Following the incident, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “Anyone who enters the buffer zone, their blood is on their own head — zero tolerance for anyone who threatens IDF forces or the fence area and communities.”

It comes as negotiations on the second and third phases of the ceasefire and hostages agreement are mired in uncertainty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been deeply wary of phase two of the deal, which would see the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages there. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has pledged to quit the government if the ceasefire continues.

A “mid-level” Israeli delegation arrived in Doha on Sunday to discuss “technical details” of the deal but will not discuss the second phase of the agreement, an Israeli official told CNN. The delegation to Doha includes the Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch and representatives from the Mossad intelligence agency, Shin Bet security agency, and the Israeli military. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who returned to Israel Sunday from his trip to the United States – is expected to hold a security-political cabinet meeting about the second phase of the deal on Tuesday, the source told CNN.

Upon his return, Netanyahu convened a cabinet meeting where he spoke about his visit.

“I just returned from a historic visit to Washington with President (Donald) Trump and his senior administration officials, along with Senate and Congressional leaders. This visit and the discussions we had with the US president carry with them tremendous additional achievements that can ensure Israel’s security for generations,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister also seemingly addressed the incident that happened across the border from Nahal Oz.

“We are enforcing the ceasefire agreements. This requires us to act with force to enforce them. We are doing this both in the south and in the north,” Netanyahu said. “My instruction this evening is – no one is to approach the perimeter, and no one is to infiltrate the perimeter.”

Netanyahu also called US President Donald Trump’s plan to take Gaza under American control a “revolutionary, creative vision.” At a joint press conference speaking alongside Netanyahu at the White House last week, Trump said the United States would take ownership of Gaza and redevelop it into a “Riviera of the Middle East.”

“For a whole year, we’ve been told that in the ‘day after,’ we need the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority,” the Israeli leader said. “President Trump came with a completely different vision, much better for the state of Israel. A revolutionary, creative vision – and we are discussing it. He is very determined to implement it. This also opens up many possibilities for us.”

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health authorities said Israeli forces shot and killed a woman who was eight months pregnant. Sundus Jamal Muhammad Shalabi, 23, was killed in the Nur Shams refugee camp, according to the Palestinian health ministry, who said that her husband was also shot and critically injured. CNN has approached the Israeli military for comment.

Israeli military incursions in the northern West Bank targeting the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas have severely restricted Palestinians’ access to essential services and caused widespread destruction, the United Nations said on Thursday.

The operation, which started shortly after the ceasefire in Gaza began — now includes the Nur Shams refugee camp, according to the Israeli military. In a Telegram post Sunday, the IDF said that they “began operating overnight to thwart terrorism in Nur al-Shams,” and had “targeted several terrorists and arrested additional wanted individuals in the area.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Khader Al-Za’anoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, and CNN’s Kara Fox contributed reporting.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.