A parade of Palestinians carrying their limited belongings made their way to north Gaza, after Israel gave them permission to pass through during the ongoing ceasefire.
Israel granted hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians the opportunity to return to their homes in the north this week. While the crowds had somewhat diminished by Tuesday, thousands of individuals, including men, women, and children, were still en route, knowing that they had very little left for them except for debris.
“I am glad to be back in my home,” said Saif al-Din Qazaat, who returned to northern Gaza but had to sleep in a tent next to the remains of his house.
“I kept a fire burning all night near the children to keep them warm… They slept peacefully despite the cold, but we do not have enough blankets,” the 41-year-old mentioned.
Mona Abu Aathra managed to travel from central Gaza to Gaza City, but she has yet to see the full extent of the war’s impact on her home.
Her hometown of Beit Hanoon was one of the areas most severely affected by a lengthy Israeli military operation that continued until the ceasefire earlier this month.
“We returned to Gaza City with nothing, and there is no drinkable water. Most streets are still blocked by the rubble of destroyed homes,” the 20-year-old shared.
Despite the devastation, Abu Aathra expressed relief at being reunited with her family.
“It is our first night together again, me, my mother, and my father. Last night, we reunited with my three brothers who were already in Gaza City.”
According to the United Nations, more than 375,000 Palestinians have entered northern Gaza since Israel opened the way for returns on Monday morning. This accounts for over a third of the one million people who fled the north in the initial weeks of the war in late 2023.
An emphasis is being placed on increasing vital supplies for the people. Despite an increase in aid deliveries since the ceasefire began, the demand continues to be overwhelming.
The World Food Programme reported that it distributed more food in the first four days of the ceasefire than in the entire month of December.
However, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that those returning to the north would also require other essential supplies, such as drinkable water, shelter materials, and hygiene kits.
