By Khan Yunis
Children and pets were in the arms of Gazans as they returned home, yesterday. A four-day Israel/Hamas ceasefire began.
As the crowds emerged from refuge in hospitals, they were greeted by sirens and horns as ambulances sped through traffic.
Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip have been unrelenting for nearly seven weeks. Yesterday morning there were no shots heard from Khan Yunis in the southern part of Palestinian territory.
Hayat al Muammar is among the many who rushed to seize this opportunity. Under it, hostages taken from Israel would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
The 50-year old woman, who was sheltering at a school, said: “I’m heading home.” She told AFP that they had fled death, destruction, and all. “I don’t know what they did to us. Why?” She asked.
Since the Israeli offensive started on October 7, Gazans’ lives have changed dramatically. Gaza’s Hamas-led government reported that weeks of Israeli bombings have killed more than 15,000 civilians, including two thirds women and children.
The United Nations estimated that 1.7 millions of the 2.4 million residents on the island have been forced to leave their homes.
Gazans have been unsure whether they will still be able to sleep at night when returning home, as more than half their homes were damaged or destroyed by the UN.
Ahmed Fayad (30) pushed his cart with a donkey, and headed back to the village where he had sought refuge along with 70 other members of his extended family.
A man in his 80s walked past with a backpack on his back, saying that he was safe to go home to the Israeli border.
A multitude of women, men and children traveled around them on foot or in carts, tuk-tuks, with their few possessions that they brought with them at the start of the war.
A woman walking through the street with her cat on her arm.
Gaza is suffering from a lack of fuel, food and water.
Israel warned Palestinians that they must leave northern Gaza to ensure their own safety. Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over southern Gaza warning people to not return to the north.
They read: “The war has not yet ended.” The north of the country is dangerous and forbidden !!!”
Khaled al Halabi, who lived in Gaza’s northern part at the beginning of the conflict, left for Rafah to the south near the border between Egypt and Gaza. He said, “I would like to go back and visit my home.”
The truce will allow him to return home safely, but he is happy that the aid trucks arriving from Egypt, his neighbour, have arrived.
Raed Saqer who sought refuge in Rafah expressed his hope that the increased promises for aid will be fulfilled.
He said: “We need this truce so we can treat the injured and help people recover, as the people who have been displaced in the North are going through an unimaginable tragedy.”
He said: “We hope this is the first step to a ceasefire that will last.”
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