Hamas police are re-emerging on the streets of Gaza, and tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning to their homes following the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the implementation of a cease-fire that is bringing about an end to two years of war.
PREMIUM Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza by Israel’s invasion make their way north after a cease-fire.(Agency)
The United Nations said on Friday about 180,000 Palestinians had begun returning home from the areas they had been displaced to. Many will find little remains, as Israel has razed large parts of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas police could be seen on the streets of Gaza on Saturday, Reuters footage showed. That followed a statement by Hamas on Friday announcing plans to deploy internal security forces and reassert its authority.
“I saw them deploying noticeably in the markets and they are keeping traffic moving,” said 22 year-old Hazem Srour, of Hamas police in Deir al-Balah, a city in the center of the enclave.
A Palestinian family and their belongings make their way to Gaza City.A satellite image shows destruction in Gaza City.
The early re-emergence of Hamas could pose problems for the deal, which requires the group to give up government and military control of Gaza and to demilitarize.
The deal to end the war is broken into two parts. The first, which both sides are implementing, requires Israel to withdraw from parts of Gaza, surge in humanitarian aid and release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for around 20 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of around 28 more.
The second part of the deal is expected to be far more complex. It calls for Hamas to disarm and for the formation of an interim government to oversee Gaza, as well as an influx of international troops. Negotiations over the second phase could start as early as Tuesday, once the first phase is completed.
On Saturday, the U.N. and other humanitarian groups were preparing to flood Gaza with food and other necessities. Between 400 and 600 trucks were expected to enter to bolster existing aid deliveries and help alleviate two years of war and hardship.
It remained unclear when they would enter the enclave. The Israeli unit charged with humanitarian coordination, known as COGAT, said the surge in aid could take several days to start, reflecting ongoing discussions on the logistics of distributions and other concerns.
“We’re ready to implement our plan with the increase of aid as soon as possible,” said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “We hope it will start imminently.”
Write to Sudarsan Raghavan at sudarsan.raghavan@wsj.com
Hamas Re-Emerges in Gaza as Palestinians Return to Their Homes 
Hamas Re-Emerges in Gaza as Palestinians Return to Their Homes