Tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed into the most heavily destroyed part of the Gaza Strip on Monday as Israel lifted its closure of the north for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.

By OSAMA SALEH, WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into Gaza’s most heavily destroyed area on Monday after Israel

After a ceasefire deal paused 15 months of war in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to the rubble of their homes.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning home to northern Gaza on Monday, bracing for what awaits them in a region that has been reduced to rubble by months of brutal bombardment and fighting.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into Gaza’s most heavily destroyed area on Monday after Israel opened the north for the first time since the early weeks of the war with Hamas, a dramatic reversal of their exodus 15 months ago.

Trump also said he's ended his predecessor’s hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which Biden had implemented out of concern for civilian casualties in Gaza.

The Hamas militant group has published the names of four hostages it says it will release on Saturday as part of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has prevented thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire by changing the order of hostages it has released.

Ali Al-Ansari, media attache to the Qatari Embassy to the United States, told Newsweek his nation "appreciates the important role and positive impact of President Trump and his administration, particularly the efforts of his special envoy Steve Witkoff, in finalizing the agreement."

Despite the extreme hardships they have experienced and the long road ahead, children in Gaza are holding fast to their dreams of a better future.

Crowds of displaced Palestinians made the arduous journey back to heavily destroyed northern Gaza for a second day, under a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas