Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza begin journey home as ceasefire takes hold

A fragile but long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday, October 10, 2025, prompting tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians to set out from the south toward their shattered neighborhoods in the north.

Crowds massed around Wadi Gaza and along the coastal and Salah al-Din roads as Israeli forces began limited pullbacks from parts of the enclave and announced new deployment lines.

Families pushed carts, carried children and belongings, and walked past fields of rubble in the hope of reclaiming homes or what remains of them after months of bombardment and displacement.

The truce is tied to a phased plan that pairs a halt in fighting with a hostage-prisoner exchange and a surge of humanitarian aid; international mediators say the first releases are due within days and that aid convoys will scale up to meet urgent needs. Despite scattered reports of residual gunfire and shelling early in the day, the pause largely held as medical teams, aid agencies, and municipal crews moved to assess damage, recover bodies, and reopen vital arteries.

Israeli units retained control over several strategic areas pending further steps in the deal, while questions about security arrangements, governance, and reconstruction loomed over a still-uncertain path to a durable peace.

For Gazans on the move, however, the first hours of quiet offered a narrow window to go home, check on relatives, and salvage documents and essentials—a tentative return that underscored both the scale of devastation and the depth of resolve among those determined to rebuild their lives.
Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; The Guardian; Al Jazeera.