Gaza residents stream home to the north after hostage breakthrough

Displaced Palestinians gather with their belongings near a roadblock on Salah al-Din Street, as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters): Tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed along the main roads leading north in Gaza on Monday, jubilant to be returning home after months of living in temporary shelter but fearing what might remain of their homes amid the bombed-out ruins.

Their return, which had been delayed at the weekend, went ahead after Hamas agreed to hand over three Israeli hostages this week and Israeli forces began to withdraw from a main corridor across the enclave under terms of an agreement on a ceasefire in the 15-month-long war.