As part of the latest phase of the hostage release agreement, the IDF is set to complete its withdrawal from its last positions along the Netzarim Corridor overnight into Sunday, marking the full military pullback from northern Gaza.
This strategic corridor, seized by the 36th Division during the initial incursion into Gaza, had served as a key operational route, linking Israeli forces advancing from the coastal axis with those pushing inland.
Masses of displaced Gaza Palestinians making their way north after reopening of Netzarim Corridor
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Masses of displaced Gaza Palestinians making their way north after reopening of Netzarim Corridor
(Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
The withdrawal comes despite Israeli threats of retaliation over Hamas' exploitation of freed hostages in propaganda videos and the shocking images of their frail condition after months in captivity.
Neither the IDF nor Israeli political leadership has commented on the planned pullback, which will leave only IDF forces in the buffer zone near the border and along the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza.
Netzarim Corridor had become a symbol of Israel’s military presence in Gaza, with right-wing settler activists viewing it as a potential foothold for re-establishing Jewish settlements in northern Gaza.
Groups such as Nachala, a movement advocating for Israeli resettlement in the Gaza Strip, held mass gatherings at the corridor's entrance, treating it as a symbolic gateway to territories they aim to reclaim.
The withdrawal from Netzarim began last month, allowing over half a million displaced Palestinians to return north from southern Gaza.
Images of masses moving northward, widely circulated across global media, showed armed Hamas operatives directing civilians along the corridor.
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Following the IDF’s departure, a U.S. security firm took over checkpoint operations, conducting security screenings for both vehicles and pedestrians entering northern Gaza.
Alongside the IDF withdrawal, IDF officials have raised alert levels in the West Bank, anticipating celebrations over the upcoming release of additional Palestinian prisoners.
In recent days, the IDF and Shin Bet have held meetings with the families of prisoners due to be freed, while conducting preemptive operations to remove Hamas flags and terrorist symbols from public areas.
The Etzion Regional Brigade has also prepared for large-scale celebrations in refugee camps such as Dheisheh, near Bethlehem, making clear that public displays of support for terrorism will not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Civil Administration has issued warnings through its military coordination offices, saying that parades and public gatherings celebrating the release of convicted terrorists are strictly prohibited.