Thousands of Palestinians are returning to Gaza City, finding their homes destroyed and loved ones missing after a truce went into effect.
Many Palestinians are trekking through the wreckage to reach their homes, some on foot and others hauling their belongings on donkey carts. Majida Abu Jarad made quick work of packing the contents of her family’s temporary lodging in the sprawling tent city of Muwasi, just north of the strip’s southern border with Egypt.
At the start of the war, they were forced to flee their house in Gaza’s northern town of Beit Hanoun, where they used to gather around the kitchen table or on the roof on summer evenings amid the scent of roses and jasmine. The house from those fond memories is gone, and for the past year, Abu Jarad, her husband and their six daughters have trekked the length of the Gaza Strip, following one evacuation order after another by the Israeli military. Seven times they fled, she said, and each time, their lives became more unrecognizable to them as they crowded with strangers to sleep in a school classroom, searching for water in a vast tent camp or sleeping on the street. Now the family is preparing to begin the trek home — or to whatever remains of it — and to reunite with relatives who remained in the north. “As soon as they said that the truce would start on Sunday, we started packing our bags and deciding what we would take, not caring that we would still be living in tents,” Abu Jarad said. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Israeli military bombardment that followed the attack has flattened large swaths of Gaza and displaced 1.9 million of its 2.3 million residents. Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Even before the ceasefire officially took effect — and as tank shelling continued overnight and into the morning — many Palestinians began trekking through the wreckage to reach their homes, some on foot and others hauling their belongings on donkey carts. “They’re returning to retrieve their loved ones under the rubble,” said Mohamed Mahdi, a displaced Palestinian and father of two. He was forced to leave his three-story home in Gaza City’s southeastern Zaytoun neighborhood a few months ago. Mahdi managed to reach his home Sunday morning, walking amid the rubble from western Gaza. On the road he said he saw the Hamas-run police force being deployed to the streets in Gaza City, helping people returning to their homes. Despite the vast scale of the destruction and uncertain prospects for rebuilding, “people were celebrating,' he said.'They started clearing the streets and removing the rubble of their homes. It’s a moment they’ve waited for for 15 months.” Um Saber, a 48-year-old widow and mother of six, returned to her hometown of Beit Lahiya. She asked to be identified only by her honorific, meaning “mother of Saber,” out of safety concerns. Speaking by phone, she said her family had found bodies in the street as they trekked home, some of which appeared to have been lying in the open for weeks. When they reached Beit Lahiya, they found their home and much of the surrounding area reduced to rubble, she said. Some families immediately began digging through the debris in search of missing loved ones. Others began trying to clear areas where they could set up tents. Um Saber said she also found the area's Kamal Adwan Hospital “completely destroyed.”The hospital has been hit multiple times by Israeli forces waging an offensive in largely isolated northern Gaza against Hamas fighters it says have regrouped. The military has claimed that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan, which hospital officials have denied. In Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, residents returned to find massive destruction across the city that was once a hub for displaced families fleeing Israel’s bombardment elsewhere. Some found human remains amid the rubble of houses and the streets. “It’s an indescribable scene. It’s like you see in a Hollywood horror movie,” said Mohamed Abu Taha, a Rafah resident, speaking to The Associated Press as he and his brother were inspecting his family home. “Flattened houses, human remains, skulls and other body parts, in the street and in the rubble.” He shared footage of piles of rubble that he said had been his family’s house. “I want to know how they destroyed our home.” The families' return to their homes comes amid looming uncertainty about whether the ceasefire deal will bring more than a temporary halt to the fighting, who will govern the enclave and how it will be rebuilt. Not all families will be able to return home immediatel
GAZA PALESTINE CEASEFIRE WAR DESTRUCTION HOMECOMING HAMAS ISRAEL
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gaza latest: Three hostages returned to Israel - as 90 Palestinians set to be releasedThe Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect at 9.15am today. Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher are the three Israeli hostages that have been released by Hamas, with 90 Palestinian prisoners set to be released by Israel.
Read more »
Gaza ceasefire deal latest: Israeli minister threatens to resign over Gaza ceasefire dealAfter Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of 'blackmail' and delayed an Israeli cabinet vote on the ceasefire, the group says the Israeli military has struck a location in Gaza where one of the female hostages is held. Follow the latest.
Read more »
Gaza latest: Smoke rising over Gaza as ceasefire delayed - Israel says Hamas has not met demandsThe Gaza ceasefire which was due to start at 6.30am today has been delayed - with Israel blaming Hamas for not providing a list of the hostages up for release. Hamas said the delay in disclosing the names was due to 'technical field reasons'.
Read more »
Gaza latest: Israeli military says it has struck 'terror targets' in Gaza after ceasefire delayedThe Gaza ceasefire which was due to start at 6.30am today has been delayed - with Israel blaming Hamas for not providing a list of the hostages up for release. Hamas said the delay in disclosing the names was due to 'technical field reasons'.
Read more »
'Her nightmare in Gaza is over', says mother of British-Israeli woman released in Gaza ceasefireEmily Damari's mother made an emotional statement thanking those that supported her daughter while she was held hostage, saying her 'nightmare in Gaza is over'.
Read more »
Hope Amidst the Ruins: Families Await Return of Israeli Hostages in GazaAs a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas takes effect, families of over 90 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza cling to hope for their loved ones' safe return. The agreement, brokered by US and Qatari mediators, brings a potential end to the 15-month conflict that has claimed over 66,000 Palestinian and 1,200 Israeli lives. The hostages, held in various locations throughout Gaza, face the same dire conditions as many Palestinians in the besieged territory, including food shortages and constant threat from Israeli airstrikes and ground forces. While families celebrate the prospect of the war ending, they remain steadfast in their demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Read more »