Israel Acknowledges “total surrender” as Palestinians Return to North Gaza

Farrukh Abadi

Israeli forces began withdrawing from the Netzarim axis Monday (1/27) as Palestinians marched north to their homes in the hundreds of thousands. Israeli politicians declared the mass return to the north as a “total surrender” and “a sign of Hamas’ triumph”.

Over the weekend, Israel had stalled its fulfillment of the Gaza ceasefire by refusing to withdraw from the Netzarim corridor, a military axis constructed by Israel bisecting Gaza into north and south sections. Israeli forces also prevented the return of Palestinians to their homes north of the axis, forcing hundreds to camp outside the military line in the cold. On Sunday, Israeli forces shot 5 Palestinians, including a child, as they waited at the axis.

Since the Israeli withdrawal, a million Palestinians have so far crossed the axis, a psychological blow to US-Zionist forces and the acknowledgment of their military defeat by the Palestinian resistance. Just over the weekend, Trump had proposed to “clean out” Gaza and forcibly displacing Palestinians into neighboring Arab countries. These genocidal plans have been crushed under the footsteps of a million Palestinians marching north and won through the guns of Palestinian and Arab anti-imperialist resistance.

Palestinian resistance organization Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza “defies those who dreamed of displacing our people and signals the end of any Zionist aspirations to destroy Palestinian resilience.”

The struggle against Zionist forces continues across the region as Israel continues to violate its ceasefire deals in Lebanon and Gaza, and attempts to resuscitate its damaged forces with American arms.

Israel heightened its mobilization on its border with Lebanon despite the expiration of its deadline to withdraw as part of the 60-day Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Here, too, Lebanese civilians have defied Israeli guns and begun to return to their homes. Israel opened fire on the returning people over the weekend, killing at least 24 and injuring over 134.

Though the White House claims a new deal has been reached to extend the deadline for Israel’s withdrawal until February 18^th, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the leader of the Lebanese resistance organization Hezbollah, stated on Monday that they “will not accept any justification for a single day’s extension or any delay in the deadline” and that “[t]he resistance has the right to act as it deems appropriate in terms of the form, nature, and timing of the confrontation.” Hezbollah dealt decisive blows against invading Israeli forces last fall, repelling them with guerrilla warfare and forcing a ceasefire on Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued its latest siege on Jenin in the West Bank, a stronghold of Palestinian resistance. The genocidal operation began on Tuesday (01/21) amid pogroms from Israelis in the occupied West Bank and follows from a failed weeks-long attack on Jenin by the puppet Palestinian Authority forces. Israeli forces have expanded their attacks into Tulkarem as well, carrying out a siege on the hospital as well as ground and aerial attacks. Since Tuesday, over a dozen Palestinians have been killed and over 40 injured, including a two-year-old shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. Palestinian resistance forces have continued to repel Zionist and PA forces, liquidating several Israeli troops and vehicles.

Photo: Palestinians return north of the Netzarim corridor to their homes after Israel retreats. Credit: QNN social media.

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