Palestinian resistance group Hamas called the Israeli withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza “an indication of the failure of Israel’s war goals”, reports Anadolu Agency.
“The return of displaced people, the ongoing prisoner exchanges, and the withdrawal from Netzarim all expose the lies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who claimed to have achieved a complete victory over our people,” Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.
“Every attempt by the occupation forces to impose military control over Gaza and divide it has failed in the face of the bravery of the resistance and the steadfastness of our people,” he added.
The Anadolu report further said that the Hamas spokesman stated US President Donald Trump will fail to achieve his goals in Gaza “through real estate deals and brokerage” as Israel failed “through 15 months of starvation, genocide, and systematic destruction.”
On 4 February, US President Donald Trump said Washington would “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
His proposal was met with wide condemnations from the Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
“Gaza will remain a free land, defended by its people and resistance fighters, and will remain off-limits to foreign invaders and occupiers,” Qanou said.
The Israeli army withdrew its forces from the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the south, on Sunday after more than a year and three months of occupation.
The truce took effect in Gaza on 19 January, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 48,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
