Israel has withdrawn from Gaza corridor, says Hamas

The Israeli military has withdrawn from an area of Gaza known as the Netzarim corridor that bisects the enclave, Hamas said on Sunday, a move that was expected under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group.

An Israeli security source, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the Israeli military was withdrawing from its positions in central Gaza.

Israeli forces had already reduced their presence there.

Hamas celebrated the withdrawal as a victory and the Hamas-run police force deployed to the area to manage the flow Palestinians crossing through. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

Footage showed what appeared to be Israeli military vehicles moving away from the coast and towards the Israeli border.

Since the early months of the war, Israeli forces had occupied the roughly 6 km-long corridor south of Gaza City that stretches from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.