Tel Aviv Tribune Net correspondents
Gaza- For about two weeks, Walaa Abu Jamea and her brother Hamza have been living in part of a room in their destroyed house in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of the city of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. She says that she feels a comfort that she missed during the 4 months she spent with her family in a tent in the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city.
The two brothers, Walaa (28 years old) and Hamza (25 years old), returned to their home that was completely destroyed by the occupation’s missiles and missiles during its ground military operation that it began in the city of Khan Yunis in early December of last year and lasted 4 months, resulting in massive destruction in the city and the eastern towns. Including the town of Bani Suhaila.
Meanwhile, these towns are witnessing a noticeable return by their residents, the majority of whom are known for working in agriculture, to their destroyed homes and lands. This return expanded following the Israeli ground military operation in the neighboring city of Rafah on May 7, and the large displacement from them to the Al-Mawasi area, where No services or facilities.
Back home
Only 3 months before the war, Walaa’s family (7 members) lived in their new two-story house, about 3 kilometers away from the Israeli security fence. The occupation forces turned it into a military barracks during their ground invasion, before destroying it completely.
Walaa told Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “My brother Hamza and I returned home and found it a pile of rubble. However, we did not hesitate to return to it. We lived in less than a room. It was a quarter of a roof, and we surrounded it with some covers and cloth.”
“For me, this shattered room is better than 100 tents,” says Walaa after a harsh experience she lived with her family in a tent on agricultural land in the Al-Mawasi area, which was very hot, and where insects and tons of waste spread throughout it.
However, with the exception of Walaa and Hamza, the rest of the family members refused to return to Bani Suhaila, fearing a sudden incursion by the occupation, as happened in other cities and towns in the Gaza Strip.
Despite their awareness of these dangers, Walaa and her brother made the decision to return and reside in their destroyed home, and they were encouraged to do so by the remarkable return of what Walaa estimates to be “half the population.” While acknowledging the existence of danger, Walaa says, “The night here is terrifying, and the Quad Capter marches make it even more terrifying, and with Every explosion caused by a missile or shell causes stones to fall around us. We are practically living under the rubble.”
The smell of my earth
The municipalities of the Gaza Strip are complaining of their inability to carry out their tasks due to the lack of fuel necessary to operate their vehicles, and the inability to transport waste to the central landfills in the areas adjacent to the Israeli security fence, due to the dangers of approaching those areas since the outbreak of the Israeli war following the attack on October 7 of last year. .
Walaa says, “We are tired of the tent atmosphere! Heat, insects, and waste.” Her neighbor, Ibrahim Al-Qara (37 years old), agreed with her, who returned with his family (7 members) to the town of Bani Suhaila, but he was unable to return to his destroyed home in the Al-Zinah area, and resides with his family and his sister’s family. On land owned by her husband.
The occupation forces completely destroyed Al-Qara’s house, and swept away his land and all his possessions, as well as the majority of the homes and lands in the Al-Zana area, the easternmost area of the towns in Khan Yunis, 1,500 meters closest to the Israeli security fence, and witnessed fierce battles between the resistance and the occupation.
Al-Qara and his family spent 4 months in a tent in Mawasi Khan Yunis, and he returned about ten days ago and had set up a tent for his family in the middle of the rubble. He said to Al-Jazeera Net, “Today I returned to Bani Suhaila, and whenever I am able to get even one meter closer to my house and land in Al-Zinah, I will not hesitate,” and he adds, “Here I am.” I can smell the scent of my land. We are farmers, and our life is the land and agriculture, and we cannot be far from our areas for long.”
“Here are our lives and our memories”
The conditions of those returning to the remains of their homes and lands in the eastern towns of Khan Yunis are similar, and they have been exhausted by life in the tents that shelter approximately 1.7 million displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip, representing more than 85% of Gazans, according to United Nations estimates.
Abu Muhammad Awad, who recently returned to his destroyed home in the small town of Abasan, told Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “The return of people to Abasan, Bani Suhaila and other eastern towns encouraged me to make the decision after a long thought.”
“Life here is not easy, there is danger and difficulty in managing daily needs due to the massive destruction.” For Abu Muhammad, public municipal water is available day after day in his vicinity, while in the Walaa and Ibrahim area “Makrot” water is available (water purchased from the occupation and distributed by the Makrot Company). (Israeli) via Israeli transport lines.
Awad and his family (5 members) went through the experience of displacement several times, before the family was able to travel to Egypt for treatment. Following his last displacement alone from the city of Rafah in the wake of the ground military operation, he took refuge in a tent in the “Regional Park” in Mawasi Khan Yunis.
Awad owns an apartment on the third floor of the family’s destroyed house. He found a basement room in which he repaired the partial damage. He has been living there for 3 days. He has a similar opinion to Walaa’s, as he prefers this room to tents. He says, “Here is our life and our memories, but the tents are spread out.” It contains the sorrows and pain of war, the intense heat, the insects, and the unpleasant odors resulting from piles of waste.”