'Israel' begins Gaza pullback under deal with Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
Today 12:16
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The deal allows forcibly displaced Palestinians to return to Gaza through Rafah, while 600 aid trucks are expected to enter the Strip daily.

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This picture taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli army, shows Israeli army tanks and armored personnel carriers stationed amid war-damaged buildings in the vicinity of the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City, Friday, October 3, 2025. (Jack Guez/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli media reported on Friday that Israeli Brigade 188 has begun withdrawing from the Gaza Strip, with all Israeli forces set to position themselves along the withdrawal lines outlined in the ceasefire agreement.

According to the reports, the 72-hour deadline for Hamas to release Israeli captives will begin once Israeli troops are in place along the designated lines, with the captives expected to be returned by Monday at the latest.

For the first time since the outbreak of the genocide, "Israel" will allow Gaza residents who had previously been forcibly displaced to return to their homes through the Rafah crossing. The agreement also stipulates that 600 aid trucks will enter Gaza daily, according to sources cited by Israeli media.

Wider context

In a related development, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli forces have completed the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip ahead of a critical 72-hour countdown for the release of captives. The operation is expected to conclude at 12:00 noon, at which point the ceasefire is slated to come into effect, formally ending the war.

The Israeli Forces announced that all military outposts and infrastructure within the Gaza Strip have been dismantled. The Southern Command described the operation as a major logistical effort, involving thousands of pieces of equipment, including industrial generators, antennas, observation posts, and soldier housing. Hundreds of trucks, bulldozers, and engineering vehicles were deployed to carry out the complex withdrawal.

Israeli forces are now stationed in newly established outposts within the reinforced buffer zone along the border, as per the report. Meanwhile, military sources noted that at least two outposts remain east of the previously announced yellow line, the report added.

The 72-hour countdown for the return of captives officially began at midnight Friday. According to the agreement, the Palestinian Resistance has until Monday at 12:00 to release the captives.

The withdrawal marks a major step in the agreement brokered to end the two-year genocide in Gaza.