Tens of thousands of Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza on Friday after the Israeli military said a ceasefire had gone into effect.

Many were eager to check whether their homes and property remained standing, and wanted to go back to their home towns and cities.

Some were hoping to find shelter, as Southern Gaza remains heavily overcrowded.

"We have not found a shelter (here); we wish to go back and find a place in a school or a camp to live there," said Ala Khandour, a displaced Palestinian from central Gaza, as he stood at a crossing.

Eager for the bloodshed, displacement and destruction to stop, many Palestinians in Gaza were relieved to hear news that Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war.

But it was mixed with pain from staggering losses and concern about what comes next.

"We are still suffering from the same struggles," Jamal Mesbah, who was displaced from northern Gaza, told the Associated Press.

While he said he doesn't feel "much joy" he is relieved that the bloodshed has come to an end.

Meanwhile, Fayez al-Majdoub, said his family wanted to go back to their home, but he couldn't afford it.

All he wanted to know was the state of his house, and if it remains there.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines.

The announcement came hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and of Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning.