Ceasefire Offers Palestinians in Gaza a Glimpse of Home Amid Devastation

A long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect this Sunday, has brought a fleeting sense of relief to war-weary residents of Gaza. However, for nearly two million displaced Palestinians, return to their hometowns has revealed a harsh reality:  the vast scale of destruction has rendered their homeland unrecognizable. 

Ahmed Alyan, 22, was among those who ventured south to Rafah, his hometown, for the first time in eight months. As he approached the area by car,  the road disappeared under piles of rubble. Forced to continue on foot, he navigated through what were once bustling neighborhoods—Tal al-Sultan, al-Balad, and Al-Jeneine—before reaching his district of Brazil.  The park he remembered from his childhood was gone, replaced by sand and shattered concrete. His family’s five-story apartment building, once adorned with pale pink curtains and filled with laughter, was reduced to ruins. 

“All we saw were ruins,” Alyan said. “City is demolished.” 

The 15-month war,  the deadliest in Gaza’s history, has left an indelible mark. Palestinian health authorities report that 47,000 people have died since the conflict escalated, following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which claimed 1,200 lives. About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, according to the United Nations. A staggering 92% of homes are damaged or destroyed, leaving many to live in tents atop wreckage. 

Returning to a Wasteland 

the ceasefire has granted some Palestinians the opportunity to return to our neighborhoods, but the scenes awaiting me are heartbreaking. Streets and buildings have vanished, replaced by mounds of twisted metal and shattered concrete. For many,  the journey back is as much about mourning as it is about survival. 

Basma Mahdi, 45, fled to Gaza City from Beit Lahia in the north. On the morning of the ceasefire, she joined her neighbors in a somber procession back home. “Buildings and whole streets have disappeared,” she said. “I just wanted to close my eyes to avoid seeing anything.” 

For ors,  the return has been even more harrowing. Gaza’s Civil Defence estimates that 10,000 bodies remain trapped under rubble. Families re-entering their homes have discovered remains of loved ones, a grim reminder of war’s human toll. 

An Uncertain Future 

The ceasefire agreement includes the right of Palestinians to return to their land, a critical point for many who fear a repeat of the mass displacement that followed the creation of Israel in 1948. Yet, significant obstacles remain. Under the terms of the agreement, Palestinians must wait at least a week to cross the Israeli barrier, known as the Netzarim corridor, that divides Gaza’s north and south. 

Reconstruction efforts face daunting challenges. United Nations estimates that clearing Gaza’s 50 million tonnes of rubble could take up to 21 years and cost over $1 billion. However, no clear plan for funding or logistics has been established, leaving many Palestinians in limbo. 

Khalil Al Madhoun, 43, displaced from Gaza City to Nuseirat camp, expressed the anguish of waiting. “I have known for months that my flat has been destroyed, but I will go look in its ruins for any mementos,” he said. 

Living Amid Rubble 

For now, many Palestinians are resigned to living amidst the debris of their former lives. “Tonight, we will sleep in the ruins of our home,” Mahdi said. “It is a wreck, but still our home. I am very happy re is a truce, but nothing will be fine for us until a long time has passed.” 

The ceasefire, in its initial six-week phase, offers a glimmer of hope, but the path to recovery is uncertain. Future negotiations will determine where a truce can evolve into a permanent end to hostilities. For the people of Gaza, the ceasefire is not the end of the struggle—it is the beginning of a long, arduous journey to rebuild their lives and communities.