Thousands of displaced Palestinians have been prevented from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel blocked a main road, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of a ceasefire.
The dispute comes after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers and Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.
But the Israeli government says it will not allow Gazans to travel north until a plan is in place to free Israeli civilian Abel Yehud. Hamas insists she is alive and will be released next week.
Under the agreement, Hamas will release civilians first and then soldiers.
The shooting was reported on Saturday night as crowds gathered on Rashid Road in central Gaza to return home.
One person was killed and several others were injured, Reuters reported, citing the Hamas-run health ministry and Palestinian media.
According to reports, four gunshots can be heard in a video of the incident posted online. BBC Verification has verified the location of the footage, but the BBC cannot independently verify casualty reports.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops in central Gaza opened fire after “multiple gatherings of dozens of suspects who posed a threat to the troops.”
“Contrary to reports that have emerged in recent hours, all shootings in the area have been for distance purposes and not for the purpose of causing harm. We stress that at this stage it is understood that the suspect was not injured as a result of the shooting.”
Mohammed Emad al-Din was one of thousands waiting to return to his homes in northern Gaza earlier on Saturday.
“I know my house will probably be destroyed, but I will pitch a tent on its ruins. I just want to go back,” he told the BBC by phone.
“I need to get my job back. I’m a hairdresser in Gaza and I’ve been trying to figure out how to repair the damage to my salon and restart my business. I already owe a lot of people and I can’t afford to give them to me Kids buy the simplest things,” he added.
“I just hope that the dispute between Hamas and Israel will end and we will be allowed to move back to our homes in the north. We have not seen our loved ones for more than 15 months.”
The Nezarim Corridor is a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) strip of Israeli-controlled territory that separates northern Gaza from the rest of the region.
In the afternoon, Lubna Nassar arrived in a donkey cart with her two daughters and son, hoping to return home to reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she had not seen for 11 months.
“I will stay here, as close to the Israeli checkpoint as possible. For months, my daughters have been waiting for the moment to see their father. I want to be among the first to return to Gaza,” she said.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators are making progress in their efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.
But Israeli tanks still blocked the coastal road where people would have walked into the north.
The Israelis have asked Hamas to provide mediators with proof of Ms Yehud’s life, which Hamas appears to have handed over to the Egyptians.
Four female Israeli soldiers held hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 were released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement that also freed 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, many Gazans are anxiously awaiting any breakthrough that would allow them to return.
For many, the hope of return outweighs the reality of ruin and destruction that awaits them.
However, the dream of restoring their lives, rebuilding their homes, and being reunited with their families keeps their spirits alive.
