Israel-Hamas truce: Displaced Gazans head home through rubbles
Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas on Sunday, after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay. Minutes after the truce began, the UN said, the first trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza, where many residents are returning […]
displaced gazans head home through rubbles
Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas on Sunday, after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay.
Minutes after the truce began, the UN said, the first trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza, where many residents are returning to nothing.
The ceasefire began nearly three hours later than scheduled. During the delay, Israel’s military said it was continuing to operate, with the territory’s civil defence agency reporting 19 people killed and 25 wounded in bombardments.
Thousands of Gazans carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen heading back to their homes, after more than 15 months of war that displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population, in many cases more than once.
In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.
“We came here at six in the morning to find massive, unprecedented destruction,” said Walid Abu Jiab, who returned to Jabalia.
“There is nothing left in the north worth living for.”
In the southern city of Khan Yunis, people who had not yet returned celebrated their pending homecoming.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Wafa al-Habeel. “I want to go back and kiss the ground and the soil of Gaza. I am longing for Gaza (City) and longing for our loved ones.”
Aid workers say northern Gaza is particularly hard-hit, lacking all essentials including food, shelter and water.
Jonathan Whittall, interim chief of the UN’s OCHA humanitarian agency for the Palestinian territories, said on X that the first trucks started entering following the truce, after “a massive effort” to prepare for a surge of aid across the territory.
Hundreds of trucks had been waiting at the Gaza border, poised to enter. Some were loaded with prefabricated houses.
The truce had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) but a last-minute dispute over the list of hostages to be freed on the first day led to the holdup.
Qatar, a mediator of the truce, later confirmed it had gone into effect.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified the three women set to be released as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher.
Hamas said it was waiting for Israel to furnish “a list containing the names of 90 prisoners from the categories of women and children” also to be released on the first day.
A total of 33 hostages taken by militants during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce, in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.
The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.
It follows a deal struck by Qatar, the United States and Egypt after months of negotiations that had generated false hopes.