Jerusalem, Feb 9 (IANS): Israeli forces have begun withdrawing from a key area in Gaza as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement that took effect last month, an Israeli government official said on Sunday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told Xinhua news agency that the pullout from the area dubbed by Israel as the Netzarim Corridor -- a strip of land that bisected Gaza from north to south -- is expected to be completed by late Sunday.
The Israeli military had established posts in the corridor during its 15-month-long assault on Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
Speaking anonymously to Xinhua, an Israeli security official said that the military was "preparing to implement the agreement according to the guidelines of the political echelon."
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show troops setting fire to furniture and unidentified boxes at their bases, with a soldier heard shouting, "We will leave nothing for the Gazans."
The 42-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19.
Under the agreement, Israel committed to withdrawing its forces from the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sending a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator in talks between the sides. However, the mission included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it would not lead to a breakthrough in extending the truce.
Netanyahu is expected to convene a meeting of key Cabinet Ministers this week on the second phase of the deal, but it was unclear when.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages captured during its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for a pause in fighting, freedom for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and a floor of humanitarian aid to war-battered Gaza.
The deal stipulates that Israeli troops will pull back from populated areas of Gaza and that on day 22, which is Sunday, Palestinians will be allowed to head north from a central road that crosses through Netzarim, without being inspected by Israeli forces.
With the truce now past its midpoint, negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US are set to determine whether the ceasefire will continue into its second phase, which would include the release of more hostages and Palestinian detainees.