WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip — People trekked for hours with loaded bags filled with clothes, food, and blankets. Many wore smiles, embracing loved ones they hadn’t seen in months, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to the northern part of Gaza through its main coastal road. Although many were aware that their homes might have been destroyed due to Israeli military actions against Hamas, the overall atmosphere was festive. The key motivation for many was the desire to return, fearing a permanent exile from their homes.
“By returning, we are victorious,” expressed Rania Miqdad, who was journeying back to Gaza City with her family. Ismail Abu Mattar also returned with his wife and their four children to the remnants of their home in Gaza City, which faced partial destruction from bombing earlier in the conflict. Like many others with damaged properties, he planned to set up a tent close by, starting the process of clearing away the debris. “A tent here is better than a tent there,” he noted, alluding to the crowded, unsanitary tent camps that had developed in central and southern Gaza, where he and many others had taken refuge for months.
Reflecting on his return, Abu Mattar said, “We had thought we wouldn’t return, like our ancestors,” referencing the displacement of his grandparents during the 1948 conflict that heralded the establishment of Israel. As part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Monday, a large number of Palestinians were permitted to return to the north. United Nations officials estimated that about 200,000 individuals made the trek back throughout the day. The scenes of joy observed were a stark contrast to the despair felt during the war when more than a million people fled south to escape the Israeli attacks.
Photos, videos, and aerial views revealed large crowds using Gaza’s main coastal road to head north. The Mediterranean Sea lined one side, while a landscape ravaged by war—complete with collapsed buildings and leveled land—stretched along the other. Evidence of Hamas fighters was apparent in certain areas, highlighting the group’s ongoing presence in Gaza amidst Israel’s assertions of eradicating it.
People carried with them bags filled with essential belongings, alongside blankets. Men cradled children while carrying sacks of food and gas canisters on their shoulders. Women handled infants in one arm, with bags of clothes and jugs of water in the other. A young girl in pajamas held her little sister’s hand as they followed their mother, while a teenager carried a pet carrier containing his cat close to his chest. Others returned in vehicles and trucks stuffed high with belongings through Salah al-Din Road.
Amidst the joy, a child flashed a “V-for-victory” sign. Emotional reunions unfolded, with people embracing relatives they had been apart from for an extended period. One elderly woman, being pushed in a wheelchair, sang a traditional Palestinian song that celebrates resilience, dating back to 1948. “Stand by each other, people of Palestine, stand by each other. Palestine is gone, but it has not bid you a final farewell,” she sang with a smile, adding, “Thank God, we’re returning to our homes after enduring so much ruin, hunger, and disease.”
However, the euphoria was marred by the grim consequences of war and the uncertainty of the future. Those returning crossed through the Netzarim corridor, an area that the Israeli military had transformed into a secured zone aimed at isolating the north. This region experienced some of the heaviest bombardments, directed at Hamas militants operating within crowded urban locales. Throughout the conflict, Israel repeatedly advised civilians to evacuate the north for their safety while prohibiting their return. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli forces withdrew from main access routes to facilitate returns, with plans for a full withdrawal from the corridor ultimately.
However, not everyone felt joy upon returning; some bore the heavy burden of grief for lost loved ones. Kamal Hamadah headed back to Gaza City, where he lost his eldest son, his daughter, and her children to airstrikes early in the conflict. Their remains were left underneath rubble in the streets while the rest of the family sought refuge in the south, he recounted. Tragically, just over a month ago, another son who had fled with him was also killed. “When his mother learned we were going back home, she was struck by deep sorrow that we were returning without the boy,” he shared.
Yasmin Abu Amshah was excited to reunite with her younger sister, Amany, who remained in Gaza City during the warfare. “I thought it wouldn’t happen, and we wouldn’t see each other again,” said the mother of three. Although her four-story home sustained damage, it remained intact, allowing her and her extended family to reside there together. Nevertheless, those returning faced an unknown future. If the ceasefire falters, they could once again confront new military offensives from Israel. Even with lasting peace, it remains unclear when residents will have the opportunity to rebuild their homes, leaving many in temporary housing situations.
Ibrahim Hammad, along with his wife and five children, walked five hours back to their neighborhood in Gaza City, knowing that their residence had been reduced to rubble due to an airstrike in December 2023. They planned to stay temporarily at his brother’s home until they could establish a tent where their house had once stood. “We had to return, even to the rubble,” the 48-year-old expressed. “Here we don’t have a house, but our family is here, and we will help each other.”
