Thousands of displaced Palestinians have been prevented from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel blocked a main road, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of a ceasefire agreement.
The dispute comes after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers – and Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.
But the Israeli government said Gazans would not be allowed to travel north until there were plans to release Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud. Hamas insisted she was alive and would be freed next week.
According to the agreement, Hamas was supposed to release civilians before the soldiers.
On Saturday night, as crowds gathered along Al-Rashid Road in central Gaza to return home, shots were reportedly fired.
Reuters news agency, citing the Hamas Health Ministry, and Palestinian media reported that one person was killed and another was injured.
Four gunshots can be heard in a video purportedly of the incident that has been posted online. BBC Verify verified the location of the footage, but the BBC was unable to independently verify reports of the victim.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops in central Gaza fired shots after “several gatherings of dozens of suspects who posed a threat to the forces were identified.”
“Contrary to reports that have emerged in recent hours, all gunfire in the area was conducted for distancing purposes and was not intended to cause harm. We emphasize that as of this stage it is not known that the injuries to the suspects occurred as a result of gunfire.”
Earlier on Saturday, Muhammad Emad al-Din was one of thousands waiting to return home to northern Gaza.
“I know my house might be destroyed, but I’m going to pitch a tent over its remains. I just want to go back,” he told the BBC over the phone.
“I have to get my work back. I’m a barber in Gaza and I’ve been trying to figure out how to repair the damage to my salon and get the business going again. I’ve become responsible for so many people and I can afford to buy the simplest things for my kids,” he added.
“All I want is for this dispute between Hamas and Israel to end and for us to be allowed to return to our homes in the north. We haven’t seen our loved ones for over 15 months.”
The Netzarim Corridor is a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) strip of land controlled by Israel that is cut off from the rest of the territory by Northern Gaza.
Lubna Nassar arrived with her two daughters and son on a donkey cart in the afternoon, hoping to return home and reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she had not seen in 11 months.
“I will stay here, as close as possible to the Israeli checkpoint. For months, my daughters have been waiting for the moment to meet their father. I want to be among the first to return to Gaza,” she said.
Qatar and Egyptian mediators are making progress in their efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return in the north.
But Israeli tanks are still blocking the coastal road where people were supposed to enter the north.
The Israelis asked Hamas proof of life brokers for Ms. Yehud, and Hamas appears to have given it to the Egyptians.
Four female Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, were released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire deal that also freed 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, many Gazans are watching anxiously for any breakthrough that might allow them to return.
For many, the hope of return outweighs the reality of what awaits them – ruins and destruction.
Still, the dream of reclaiming their lives, rebuilding their homes and reuniting with their families keeps their spirits up.
