PHOTOS: With ceasefire in effect, thousands trek to northern Gaza

(NewsNation) — Thousands of displaced Palestinians began the journey home to northern Gaza on Friday after a ceasefire with Israel went into effect.

Fadel Mghari, a freelance photojournalist based in Gaza, captured the moments after the ceasefire was announced in the Netzarim Axis, near the Mediterranean Sea.

Also referred to as the Netzarim Corridor, the roughly 4-mile road divides northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip. It was built by the Israeli Defense Forces in 2023 and was used to carry out raids during the war.

In one image, a man can be seen sprinting toward Gaza City with a wide smile.

A man runs toward Gaza City on Oct. 10, 2025. (Fadel Mghari)

The IDF issued a statement on social media Friday morning, announcing “The Ceasefire Agreement Came Into Effect at 12:00,” and adding that “Since 12:00, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages."

The military said its troops would continue to “remove any immediate threat.”

The ceasefire signals an end to Israel’s two-year war with Hamas, which broke out after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, in which Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and took approximately 250 others hostage.

According to Gaza health officials, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, and at least half are believed to be women and children. 

NewsNation's Meg Hilling contributed to this report.