TRANSCRIPT
As part of the truce signed in January, this was always meant to happen.
But as the last of Israel's military vehicles reportedly departed the Netzarim corridor - an occupation of 16 months - the move has given no small measure of relief to those invested in peace.
The Netzarim corridor bisects Gaza and for more than a year, residents have been unable to bridge the divide.
Um Mohammed is among thousands of Gazans now making her way home.
“We are steadfast and we’ve been patient under the rockets and strikes. They have deprived us of food and water but they haven’t deprived us of air, they haven’t managed to deprive us of air, we remained alive.”
While Israel's withdrawal from the corridor is seen as a positive sign for the fragile ceasefire pact, there are concerns interventions by outside powers - including the U-S - could upset the tentative situation.
From the Airforce One American presidential airplane, Donald Trump described Gaza as a demolition site the US could develop.
"I'm committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it through our auspices. But we're committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn't move back. There's nothing to move back into."
Egypt has convened an urgent meeting of regional leaders.
Before President Trump's comments, Israel's Prime Minister had attracted criticism for his own public statements.
Speaking on the US television network Fox Benjamin Netanyahu claimed many Palestinians want to leave the area but haven't been allowed to.
Mr Netanyahu also told the network, the Israeli government's relationship with the Trump administration was part of a partnership aimed at bringing about more peace agreements.
"We can change the course of history. We can get more peace agreements, we can have a broader and lasting peace. That's what President Trump and our partnership brings to the equation.”
Egypt's government has directly condemned Mr Netanyahu's comments - and its American alliance.
And in a blistering address,Turkish President Tayip Erdogan warned the US President any plan to remove Gazans from Gaza was nonsense.
"I would like to state this clearly once: the proposals put forward by the new American administration regarding Gaza with the pressure of the Zionist lobby have nothing worth considering or discussing from our perspective. These are purely preoccupations with nonsense."
The latest reactions come almost a week after Mr Trump told the media the US could remove Palestinians from the strip and resettle them in Jordan and Egypt.. and voiced plans to turn the strip into the Riviera of the Middle East.
White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says Mr Trump is a dealmaker with a plan.
“You can't make this the Paris of the Mediterranean like Beirut was back in the 70s and give these people a better life if you've got 1.8 million people living in absolute squalor in mountains and mountains of mountains of debris, it's just– President Trump is a builder. He's a dealmaker in chief. And he understands that it just doesn't make sense.”
On the conflict's main stage, negotiations are underway in Qatar for the second round of hostage exchanges.
Over the weekend, Hamas released the the fifth and latest round of Israeli hostages to their families.
Or Levy was one of the trio reunited with loved ones in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
His brother Michael told reporters he has been changed forever by trauma and loss.
''Yesterday after a year and four months I saw my brother again. I hugged him but he wasn't the same Or that left home on October 7th. He came back in poor physical condition, anyone who saw the pictures and video couldn't ignore it. For 16 months he was hungry, barefoot and in constant fear that any day could be his last. The hardest blow was yesterday when Or discovered that Einav (his wife) the love of his life was murdered on that terrible day."
Yulie Ben Ami described the physical impact of the ordeal on her father, Ohad.
''He lost much of his weight, but not his spirit. My father is strong and I admire him. He survived hell. The return of the hostages yesterday leaves no room for doubt. They all must return."
Meanwhile, Thailand's foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa says the country is working to secure the remaining Thai hostage that remains in Hamas captivity.
"The other important thing is that we still have one more Thai national who remains in captivity. We are not at a relief yet. But we still have hope and will continue our efforts, including bringing back two other bodies as soon as possible. At the very least, we want all of them to come back home."
Five of the nation's farm workers were also released from Gaza over the weekend, including Watchara Siriaoun.
His mother Wiwwaeo says his return is a new beginning for their family.
“This is something we have been waiting for for a long time. It’s a miracle—something many thought would never happen. It feels like my son has died and been born again."
16 Israeli hostages and 566 Palestinian prisoners have so far been freed.
In Gaza, hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk of starvation or serious illness.
The United Nations aid agency has sent 800 trucks a day to feed around one million residents - staving off famine - if only temporarily.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Tom Fletcher, has grave concerns crucial supplies including food and medicine could be blocked again.
"The conditions are still terrible. You know, people are still hungry. There's still a limit of the supplies that they have. And if the ceasefire falls, if the ceasefire breaks, then very quickly those conditions will come back again."
