Gaza Residents Return Home Amidst Ruins After Ceasefire Agreement

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning to their homes in northern Gaza after months of displacement, marking a glimmer of hope in the aftermath of the devastating 15-month-long war. The return, delayed over the weekend due to a dispute over the release of hostages, proceeded after Hamas agreed to hand over three Israeli hostages later this week and Israeli forces began withdrawing from a main corridor across the enclave.

Jubilant Return, Uncertain Future

Along a road running by Gaza’s Mediterranean shore, a mass of people, some holding infants in their arms or carrying bundles of belongings on their shoulders, trekked north on foot. The scene was filled with a mix of jubilation and apprehension.

“It’s like I was born again and we were victorious again,” said a Palestinian mother, Umm Mohammed Ali, part of the miles-long throng that moved slowly up the coastal road.

Witnesses said the first residents arrived in Gaza City in the early morning after the first crossing point in central Gaza opened at 5am Irish time. Another crossing opened around three hours later, letting in vehicles.

“My heart is beating, I thought I would never come back,” said Osama, 50, a public servant and father of five, as he arrived in Gaza City.

“Whether the ceasefire succeeds or not, we will never leave Gaza City and the north again, even if Israel would send a tank for each one of us, no more displacement.”

Having been repeatedly displaced over 15 months of war, cheers erupted at shelters and tent encampments when families heard news that the crossings would be opened.

“No sleep, I have everything packed and ready to go with the first light of day,” said Ghada, a mother of five.

She added: “At least we are going back home, now I can say war is over and I hope it will stay calm.”

Gaza: A Landscape of Ruin

Around 650,000 Palestinians were displaced from northern Gaza during the war, which was triggered by Hamas’ 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than 47,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Many of those displaced have had to move several times as Israel designated parts of Gaza as humanitarian zones and then cleared them out before mounting bombardments and ground operations there.

Much of Gaza now lies in ruins. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said returnees to the north need at least 135,000 tents and shelters as they try to re-establish their lives in the rubble-strewn landscape of their former homes.

A Fragile Hope

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, residents of northern Gaza were due to return at the weekend. However, Israel said that Hamas had broken the deal by failing to release civilian female hostage Arbel Yehud and kept its forces in the Netzarim corridor that cuts across the enclave south of Gaza City.

Last night Qatari mediators resolved the dispute after Hamas agreed to release Ms Yehud, along with female soldier Agam Berger and another hostage on Thursday – two days before the next scheduled release of three more hostages on Saturday.

Israel then gave the green light for a return to north Gaza from this morning.

Hamas has also provided a list of all hostages to be released during the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, stating their condition.

A Hamas official has said the group had handed over to mediators a list that showed that 25 of 33 hostages scheduled for release in the first phase are alive. The figure of 25 included the seven hostages released since the truce began on 19 January.

Israel has confirmed the Hamas figures in the list – 25 are alive but eight were killed by Hamas, an Israeli government spokesman said.

The identities of who was dead and who was alive was not immediately confirmed, keeping families in a state of hope and dread.

Her sister-in-law Ofri Bibas said the past few weeks have been agonising for the family. Shiri’s husband, Yarden Bibas, is also a hostage in Gaza but was taken separately from his family.

“We are waiting, amid a sea of rumours,” Ofri Bibas told Israel’s Public Broadcaster Kan. “We have no certainty and we are still clutching on to hope, hoping to see them here, together with Yarden.”

International Response

Hamas officials and ordinary Gazans have rejected a suggestion from US President Donald Trump that Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from the war-ravaged enclave, rekindling long-standing Palestinian fears about being driven permanently from their homes.

Critics of Mr Trump’s comments have said this would amount to “ethnic cleansing”.

According to the ceasefire accord, only unarmed people will be allowed to return north. Israel’s military warned Gazans not to carry weapons with them or approach Israeli troops anywhere.

Residents crossing back north said Egyptian security personnel were supervising the return of Palestinians in vehicles along the Salahuddin Road, the main thoroughfare running north to south, with Hamas police officers close by.

“At the Netzarim junction, young Egyptian army members are supervising the car X-ray machine and they are dealing with the returnees in a loving way…the whole process took a few minutes,” said Mustafa Ibrahim.

A private US security firm will also take part in checks, an Israeli government spokesman said.

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The situation in Gaza remains fragile. Stay updated on the latest developments and consider supporting humanitarian organizations providing aid to those affected by the conflict. Your contribution can make a difference in the lives of those rebuilding their homes and their future.