Scores of families had gathered at Al Rasheed street – the coastal road to the north – in anticipation of returning home. But they scattered after the shots were fired, with many ducking to the ground. It is unclear whether there were any casualties.
The Israeli military has claimed its troops “only fired warning shots” and they “did not aim to shoot the suspects or to cause harm.”
Before the crowd dispersed, many people told CNN that they wanted to return to the north despite not knowing what happened to their homes.
One woman, Yusra Mahmoud Judat Abdel Rabbo, said she wanted to return home to Jabalia in the north, where her husband was.
“Since the start of the war, we’ve been waiting for this moment to return to our homes in the north,” she added.
Hamna Ramadan Abdullah, also from Jabalia, told CNN while her house had been bombed, she was looking forward to returning home.
“The land is my soul, my heart, my life, my religion, my morals, and my people. I came early because I was eager and longing to go back,” Abdullah stated from Al Rasheed street.
“We’ll go and see if we’ll live in a school or a tent.”
Mohammad Al-Ghazali, from Gaza City, described the past 15-months of war as “the worst days of our lives.” He told CNN: “We lost everything dear and valuable. Now, all we have left is to return to Gaza City and kiss its soil.”
The first six-week phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 47,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 111,500 since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
The three-phase agreement includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, and its residents displaced, hungry, and prone to disease.
On Saturday, Hamas released four Israeli female soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), while Israel followed by releasing 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire deal.
Saturday’s scheduled exchange will mark the second swap since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January. During the first exchange, Hamas released three Israeli female civilians in return for 90 Palestinian prisoners.