Uprooted Palestinians move to check on homes in Gaza as humanitarian pause begins

Thousands of Palestinians displaced by weeks of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip began returning to their homes to check on property and look for family members as a humanitarian pause commenced early on Friday.

According to an Anadolu reporter, many left the schools where they had sought refuge from the Israeli strikes, which have pummeled the besieged enclave since early October, only coming to a halt at 7 a.m. local time (0500GMT) as the four-day pause began.

Over the past several weeks marked by conflict, many Palestinians in the densely populated Gaza Strip lost contact with family members due to successive communications blackouts and difficulties in movement.

Palestinians in the northern part of the strip, including Gaza City, moved to check on their homes as well, but will not be able to return to their dwellings under the humanitarian pause agreement, which also includes a hostage swap and aid deliveries to the enclave.

Hundreds of thousands fled southward from intense Israeli strikes and a ground operation into the northern Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

On Friday, the Israeli army also dropped leaflets in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, warning Palestinians from moving to the north as it remains a war zone.

The four-day humanitarian pause between the Israeli army and Hamas came into effect on Friday morning in all areas of the Gaza Strip, temporarily stopping attacks for prisoner exchange and aid.

The pause commenced at 7 a.m. local time (0500GMT).