Hundreds of displaced Gazans marched north from Gaza City to Jabalia on Sunday, navigating streets buried under rubble as a cease-fire brought a pause to Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian territory.
In parts, they traversed an apocalyptic landscape of pulverized concrete and skeletal remains of once-standing buildings. Dust clouds rose from the movement of people and vehicles over sand-strewn roads, where paving had been stripped away. Where pavement endured, it was blanketed in layers of debris.
"We arrived at six in the morning and found unprecedented, massive destruction," said Walid Abu Jiab, a Jabalia resident returning home. "There is nothing left in the north worth living for," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The road was flanked by the ruins of apartment blocks, levelled after months of Israeli airstrikes and shelling targeting northern Gaza. Fuad Abu Jilboa, another returning resident, described the scene as "indescribable destruction, unlike anything history has ever witnessed."
Despite the devastation, moments of celebration erupted on Sunday as the cease-fire came into effect, albeit delayed by several hours.
In Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, jubilant crowds filled the streets. Hundreds gathered at a junction, playing drums, waving Palestinian flags, and chanting. "This joy is more beautiful than Eid," a man told AFP from his car, packed with his family and belongings. "I'm going to Rafah," he said, though the vehicle was brought to a standstill by the celebrating throng.
In Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, people returned in large numbers even before the cease-fire was implemented, delayed by nearly three hours.
"The residents have come back, though Rafah is no longer a city," said Muhammad al-Shaer, a displaced resident.
Carrying their remaining possessions on trucks, donkey carts, bicycles, or on foot, people hauled water tanks, mattresses, and other essentials.
In Nuseirat, central Gaza, children filled the streets in joy, while Hamas security forces patrolled armed and in uniform. Gaza City saw bulldozers clearing streets of rubble and waste left from 15 months of halted public services due to the war. Gunshots of celebration echoed in the distance.
Gaza City spokesman Asem Alnabih announced on X, "We are starting today to reopen the main roads, preparing for the return of our displaced citizens."
For some, the focus was already shifting toward rebuilding. "With faith in God and our strength, we will rebuild and live," vowed Walid Abu Jalboa of Jabalia.
Source: Daily Sabah
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
