Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza begin journey home as ceasefire comes into effect
Thousands walk north along coastal road after Israel-Hamas agreement puts stop to fighting for first time in six months
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza have begun to return to the ruins of their homes after the ceasefire rapidly negotiated in recent days between Hamas and Israel came into effect at noon local time on Friday - the first relief from relentless violence that inhabitants of the devastated territory have had since March.
Israeli troops withdrew to new agreed-upon positions during Friday morning and Hamas is expected to release the 20 living Israeli hostages it is holding early next week, after which Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving long-term sentences in Israeli prisons, as well as 1,700 others detained during the war.
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