Palestinians arrive to homes in “uninhabitable” north Gaza

rubbleo

Thousands of Palestinians who have been forcibly displaced came back to Northern Gaza this week and saw their unrecognisable neighbourhoods, following the 15-month conflict which has left the area unsuitable for living, The New Arab reported on January 21st.

After the ceasefire agreement, the mass return has shown the shocking level of destruction in some parts such as Jabalia camp, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. 

Aerial footage revealed obstructed roads, which were lined with the remnants of buildings that have fallen and homes which are now nothing but ashes.

Schools and medical clinics, such as the ones managed by UNRWA, have also faced widespread damage from shelling and bombing. Kareem Hamdan, who fled to the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City more than 100 days ago, came back to his home in Beit Lahiya and was faced with rubble. 

READ:  Arab nations oppose moving Palestinians out of Gaza

Hamdan told The New Arab’s Arabic language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “I had hoped that, with the ceasefire, I could finally return to my family’s home.”

Hamdan added: “But upon seeing the destruction, I felt overwhelmed with shock; our house was nothing but stones, and the surrounding neighbourhood had vanished.”

Hamdan pledged to rebuild his town: “Our home may be gone, but we will stay here, on our land. We will live on the ruins, and we will rebuild this place, no matter the cost.”

READ: Body of Bedouin hostage found in Gaza

Body of soldier held in Gaza since 2014 retrieved by Israel

Professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, Mohammad Khalil also came back to his home in Jabalia, but found it destroyed. 

Khalil told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “It felt like a flood of memories and pain. The house was nothing but debris, and many of my family’s homes were the same.”

READ:  Jonathan Cook: How western media is complicit with IDF in faking news

Khalil added: “We have decided to stay in tents near the ruins, not because we have any other choice, but because we refuse to abandon our land. Jabalia and the entire north of Gaza are uninhabitable, but we will rebuild with our own hands.”

The destruction is down to Israel’s military attack which was specifically targeting Gaza’s northern regions during October 2023. The northern parts were the most deeply affected, as whole residential blocks were destroyed. More than 5,000 were killed and over 9,500 experienced injuries during the attack, the Gaza government’s media office said. 

In November, the United Nations said that Gaza was “unfit for human survival” and said that the enclave is a “wasteland of rubble”.

The ceasefire which has been effective from January 19th has permitted some Palestinians to come back to their homes, as humanitarian organisations continue providing crucial aid supplies for the strip. 

READ:  McDonald's chief claims campaigns are hampering sales in MENA region

Part of the deal includes a 42-day suspension of hostilities, mainly to allow humanitarian aid to be given to the civilians of Gaza.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli forces will leave parts of Gaza that are densely-populated to allow for the prisoner exchange as will as the return of people who have been displaced, back into their residences.

Although the agreement was put in place, Israel has since carried out an offensive on Jenin, the Middle East Eye reported on January 21st. The Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, who have attacked and blockaded Jenin since early December, left the city before Israel’s offensive took place.

The New Arab, The Middle East Eye

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

[mc4wp_form id="206"]