The Palestinians displaced from Gaza have, some of them, returned to their old neighborhoods, but the scale of the destruction is apocalyptic.
Some displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip expressed relief Monday, saying they slept for the first time in nearly 15 months, without bombing or fear, after the deal was reached ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Skies over Gaza and Israel remained calm for the first time and Palestinians began returning to what remained of the homes they had fled across the war-ravaged enclave.
“Yesterday there were no war planes or anything, so we slept comfortably” said Maisara Abu-Quoush, a displaced man from the town of Rafah.
They also checked on loved ones left behind and, in many cases, began burying their dead.
Many people were seen returning from Khan Younis to Rafah, where they found massive destruction.
People walked through the rubble, some on foot and others with their belongings piled on donkey carts.
“We are tired of the bombings. The residents of Rafah felt humiliated and displaced. We covered long distances on foot. We were very afraid ” said Fatma Hamad, another displaced person from Rafah.
The families’ return comes amid uncertainty over whether the ceasefire deal will bring more than a temporary halt to fighting, who will govern the enclave and how it will be rebuilt.
The United Nations has said reconstruction could take more than 350 years if Gaza remains under Israeli blockade.
Aid finally flows massively into Gaza
United Nations humanitarian officials say more than 630 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday.
In a message posted on the social network
“There’s no time to waste “wrote Mr. Fletcher.”After 15 months of incessant war, humanitarian needs are enormous.”
The ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which began on Sunday with an initial six-week phase, provides for the entry into Gaza of 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid daily. During the first phase of the agreement, 33 Israeli hostages detained by Hamas in Gaza will also be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Aid workers have been struggling to meet the dire needs of Gaza residents after 15 months of war and severe Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries and the movement of convoys within the enclave. Lawlessness and looting by armed gangs have also been a major obstacle to aid distribution.
Before the start of the latest war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza was under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade that allowed the entry of some 500 trucks a day carrying commercial supplies and humanitarian aid.
According to the UN, the Gaza Strip has more than 2 million displaced people, or 90% of its population.
The families’ return comes amid uncertainty over whether the ceasefire agreement will bring more than a temporary halt to fighting.
Another question, who will govern the enclave and finally how will it be rebuilt?
In a recently released report, the United Nations further stated that reconstruction could take more than 350 years to return to the levels of the early 2000s, if Gaza remains under Israeli blockade.