Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine – At al-Nuwairi Hill, the closest level in Nuseirat to the al-Rashid coastal street, Ansaf Khadra sits on the bottom along with her household for the second consecutive day, ready to be allowed to return to her residence, or no matter is left of it, in northern Gaza.
Ansaf, a mom of 4, was one among 1000’s of displaced folks in southern Gaza who instantly headed for al-Rashid on Sunday after the discharge of 4 Israeli captives as a part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal the day earlier than.
The plan was to go to al-Rashid and attempt to get via Israel’s Netzarim checkpoint, then, past that, to Gaza’s north.
“I’ve been right here since early morning with my husband and kids,” Ansaf instructed Al Jazeera as she handed out sandwiches to her youngsters sitting on the bottom.
“Final night time I ready no matter belongings we might carry and left many issues to make it simpler to stroll,” she added. “We couldn’t even wait a minute. We wish to return to our land within the north instantly.”
The ceasefire deal, which started to be carried out on January 19 with the primary alternate of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, was supposed to permit for the return of displaced Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north after the second alternate of captives for prisoners, which passed off on Saturday.
Nonetheless, Israel forcibly blocked Palestinian civilians from approaching Netzarim on Sunday, firing on the crowds on no less than three separate events, in line with medical sources, and killing no less than two Palestinians, in line with al-Awda Hospital, the place the casualties had been obtained. Not less than 9 folks, together with a toddler, had been wounded.
Israel has insisted that one other feminine captive, Arbel Yehud, ought to have been launched on Saturday earlier than Palestinians had been allowed to return to their houses within the north.
The delay has left Palestinians right here annoyed. Ahmed Abu Dan puffed on the remnants of his cigarette as he sat alongside his household.
“We’ve been via a lot throughout this warfare,” the 55-year-old mentioned. “After they instructed us we might return to the north, we had been overjoyed, however Israel is deliberately souring our happiness by making us wait.”
Ahmed isn’t within the technicalities of the delay. His solely concern is returning residence to Gaza Metropolis’s Shujayea neighbourhood, away from the recollections of 15 months of warfare and displacement.
“What’s one other day or two?” he quipped with amusing. “We’re staying right here it doesn’t matter what, till they allow us to via.”
Ahmed and his household packed up their tent as quickly because the ceasefire started, gathering their important belongings in preparation for the tough journey again north.
The household has been displaced 11 occasions because the warfare started, Ahmed mentioned, explaining that his well being and psychological state had deteriorated after enduring so many months dwelling in tents. The expertise signifies that, if he does make it again to the north, he has vowed by no means to depart once more – even when the ceasefire fails and warfare breaks out once more.
“We had been compelled to flee to supposedly secure areas, solely to be focused there as properly,” Ahmed mentioned. “I can’t wait to kiss Gaza Metropolis’s soil once more.
“I miss my family and my residence in Shujayea, even when partially destroyed. I miss my neighbourhood and all the things there.”
What’s left?
Whereas the entire of the Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave solely 41 kilometres (25 miles) lengthy, has been bombarded by Israel throughout its warfare, the north has been notably devastated.
Israel’s far-right settler motion has even pushed for the everlasting ethnic cleaning of Palestinians and the institution of unlawful settlements within the area, the house of the enclave’s largest city space earlier than the warfare, Gaza Metropolis.
Huge swathes of northern Gaza now seem uninhabitable, however Ansaf has heard that her residence, whereas severely broken, remains to be standing.
“In line with my neighbours, just one room and a toilet in my home stay intact, however to me, that’s heaven in comparison with a life in displacement,” she mentioned with a broad smile.
“I miss my residence a lot,” Ansaf added. “We had solely lived there for 9 months earlier than the warfare began, and I hadn’t even completed furnishing it.”
Not like Ansaf, Nada Awadallah has no details about the situation of her residence in Gaza’s Metropolis’s Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. What she does know is that the world round her residence was a closed Israeli army zone, and was onerous to entry.
However that lack of expertise is just not a affirmation that her residence has been destroyed. And for Nada, that is sufficient to attempt to return.
“I can’t imagine the day of return has lastly come,” the 65-year-old mentioned, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ll endure the exhaustion. I’ve been right here since final night time, sleeping on the road, and I’m prepared to remain till we’re allowed via.”
Nada had fled along with her household – 5 youngsters and a number of other grandchildren – from Tal al-Hawa early within the warfare, ultimately settling in a tent in southern Gaza’s al-Mawasi. And all of these relations have determined, for now, to remain the place they’re.
“There was a debate amongst us about ready longer earlier than heading again, however I couldn’t wait any longer,” Nada mentioned. “I instructed them I’d crawl if I needed to. What issues is that I am going again and examine on my residence.”
Returning to the rubble
Mahmoud Mohsen, a 57-year-old father of seven, visited his daughter’s grave in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah cemetery earlier than heading in direction of Netzarim.
Mahmoud’s daughter, alongside along with her husband and three youngsters, had been killed in a bombing in Nuseirat in November 2023.
Initially from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, Mahmoud fled southwards to Rafah at first of the warfare. After a number of displacements, he ultimately settled in Deir el-Balah.
“All I would like now’s to return to the rubble of my residence. Nothing else issues,” Mahmoud mentioned as he gazed in direction of the checkpoint. “I’ll keep right here till I’m allowed via.”
“Simply reaching this space has introduced me again to life. I miss Gaza’s air,” Mahmoud mentioned. “Our journey throughout the warfare was one among hardship after hardship. Sufficient of this hell.”
