Many Palestinians emerged from temporary shelters today, Friday, feeling a mix of happiness tinged with anxiety, as a four-day ceasefire began in Gaza, prompting them to start a long journey back to their homes in the northern region of the Strip. In the city of Khan Yunis in the south, where thousands of families displaced from heavily bombarded northern Gaza have settled, streets were crowded with people carrying their belongings.
Hundreds headed north despite Israel dropping leaflets warning them against returning to an area it still describes as a dangerous war zone. Men, women, and children carried their possessions in plastic bags, shopping bags, and backpacks. One family sat on a donkey-drawn cart piled high with their belongings. Some looked up at the sky as if to ensure they were safe from Israeli airstrikes.
Ahmed Wael expressed his happiness and relief while walking with large mattress on his head, stating that he would return home and feel a sense of security after the official announcement of a four-day ceasefire. He added that he preferred returning to living in tents because he was tired of being without enough food or water, and that at home he could drink tea and make bread.
The United Nations reports that around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are homeless, with most of the population in Gaza City and the rest of northern Gaza turning into ruins due to the Israeli bombardment. Even Khan Yunis, the main city in the south, is no longer safe, with many of its buildings reduced to rubble from the strikes.
Suhad Abu Naserat from Khan Yunis expressed her joy at the possibility of returning home after this period to see relatives and acquaintances, but she also mentioned her hesitance and fear. She added that a four-day truce is not enough, and she is concerned for those who are still there, praying for strength and patience for them.
UN agencies have expressed hope that the ceasefire will allow humanitarian aid to flow into northern Gaza for the first time in weeks. Some, however, prefer to stay. Alaa Al-Mubasher, sitting outside a medical center in Khan Yunis with her children, lamented that her neighborhood in Gaza City has become ruins.
She expressed deep sadness seeing people coming and going, saying that all she wants is to return even for just one hour to see her home and neighborhood and what has happened to them. She stated that her family carried only some summer clothes and that they are now living in schools under harsh weather conditions, facing cold and stormy, rainy weather without proper clothing to protect them from the cold. She added that staying in the shelters has worn them down psychologically as they stand in line for the bathroom and bakery, describing life this way as unbearable.
Some Palestinians in Khan Yunis say they will wait until the end of the war before returning home. Ahmed Qabalan, 80 years old, expressed his fear of returning due to the possibility of renewed attacks that could result in his death. He emphasized that he would not go back to his home east of Khan Yunis until after the war ends, stating that he does not trust Israel's promises and does not believe that it will fulfill its commitments, even for just one hour.
