US, Egyptian security contractors check for weaponry in cars returning to northern Gaza
IDF says it carried out drone strike as warning to vehicle trying to bypass checkpoint; armed Hamas operatives seen among crowds of Palestinians traveling by foot to north of Strip

Security contractors have started inspecting vehicles in Gaza to prevent heavy weaponry from being moved to the north of the enclave, where tens of thousands of Palestinians were returning to on Monday.
An Egyptian official said Egyptian contractors, along with a US firm, were running checkpoints to inspect vehicles heading to the northern Gaza Strip via the Salah a-Din Road. The contractors are part of an Egyptian-Qatari committee implementing the ceasefire, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
A Palestinian businessman who crossed through a checkpoint told the New York Times that US security personnel wearing dark fatigues checked cars, while soldiers speaking an Egyptian dialect of Arabic organized the movement of vehicles and the passengers they let off while the inspections were conducted.
“The car inspection and crossing take no more than a minute or two,” he was quoted as saying. “They asked me to open the trunk and hood, and then wished me safe travels.”
An Israeli official, who confirmed the inspections began Monday, described the team operating the inspections as “multinational,” but gave no further details except to say it included a private American security firm. Reports last week said the US company Safe Reach Solutions will be responsible for the operational management of crossings along the corridor, while another American firm and an Egyptian company perform the inspections.
The official also vowed Israel will continue to act against violations of the ceasefire terms, and the Israel Defense Forces reported taking such action several times on Monday.
"This is what the so-called 'American' inspection for crossing to northern Gaza looks like. If this is American, then I’m Donald Trump. @realDonaldTrump, your thoughts?" #IronWall #FAFO pic.twitter.com/b1rZMyhpv2
— ????????General_QuackerDDF???????? (@CarmeliBarak) January 27, 2025
In central Gaza, a drone strike was carried out as a warning after a vehicle attempted to travel to north Gaza via an area that is prohibited for vehicular traffic per the agreement, where inspections weren’t taking place, the IDF said.
Palestinian media had reported a drone strike on a tractor trying to push through a barrier in Nuseirat.
In several areas of Gaza where troops are still deployed, the military said troops also fired warning shots at suspects approaching them. In one incident in northern Gaza, the IDF said troops targeted a suspect who did not withdraw after initial warning shots were fired.
The incidents came as masses of Palestinians streamed along roads leading to northern Gaza, with images showing armed and masked Hamas operatives flashing the victory sign among the returning crowds. The ceasefire exempts Palestinians traveling on foot from inspections, though they are not supposed to be carrying weapons.
Hamas released a brief statement claiming that “more than 300,000 displaced” Palestinians “returned today… to the governorates of the north” of Gaza, a figure that could not be verified independently. The United Nations said over 200,000 people were observed moving north on Monday morning.

During the 15 months of fighting, Israel was wary about allowing the movement of Gazans from the south to the north fearing Hamas would use the opportunity to reposition its fighters.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, residents of northern Gaza were initially due to return over the weekend but Israel kept the crossings closed, saying that Hamas had broken the deal by failing to release civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud.
Late on Sunday, Qatari mediators said Hamas had agreed to release Yehoud and two other hostages — one of them female soldier Agam Berger — before Friday and that Israel would in return allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza starting Monday morning. Three men were to be released on Saturday.
Jerusalem also said Hamas had finally sent a list detailing the conditions of the remaining hostages set to be released in the ongoing, 42-day first phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19. Both the failure to send this list by Saturday and Hamas’s failure to free Yehoud before releasing four IDF servicewomen had been regarded by Israel as violations of the truce deal.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.