On January 19, after a ceasefire came into effect, more than 300,000 Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to a statement from Gaza’s public relations office.
The statement noted, “A large number of residents from northern Gaza, who had been seeking refuge in the southern and central regions of the Gaza Strip, are now returning to their homes after 470 days.”
Northern Gaza, reduced to rubble by Israeli airstrikes, has no intact buildings left. However, the residents are overjoyed to return to their region after nearly 15 months.
From early Monday morning, thousands of Palestinians began entering northern Gaza through the Netzarim Corridor. Many brought their belongings on horse-drawn or donkey-drawn carts. A banner reading “Welcome to Gaza” was displayed in front of a damaged building on the main road in Gaza City, the central hub of northern Gaza.
Lamis Al-Iwadi, a 22-year-old resident of northern Gaza, expressed her happiness at returning home after such a long time. Speaking to AFP, she said, “Today is the happiest day of my life. I feel as though I was dead for so long, and now my body and soul have been revived.”
The widespread destruction around her did not dampen her optimism. Lamis told AFP, “We will rebuild our homes. Even if we have to build them with sand and mud, we will.”
A spokesperson for Hamas told AFP that the returning displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza would need at least 135,000 tents for temporary shelter.
The crisis began on August 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, prompting the Israeli Defense Forces to initiate a military operation in Gaza. The 15-month-long operation resulted in the deaths of over 47,300 Palestinians, injuries to over 112,000, and the forced displacement of millions of residents searching for safe havens.
Thanks to extensive diplomatic efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, a ceasefire was achieved on January 19, allowing displaced Gazan residents to begin returning to their homes.