‘I would crawl if I had to’: Palestinians eager to return to northern Gaza | Israel-Palestine Conflict News

Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine – On Al-Nuwairi Hill, the closest point to Nuseirat on the al-Rashid Coastal Road, Ansaf Khadra sits on the ground for the second day in a row, waiting to be allowed to return home, or whatever is left of her. , in northern Gaza.

Ansaf, a mother of four, was one of thousands of displaced people in southern Gaza who made their way to Al-Rashid on Sunday immediately after the release of four Israeli prisoners in the Israel-Hamas camp the day before.

The plan was to head to Al-Rashid and try to pass through Israel’s Netzarim checkpoint and then beyond that to northern Gaza.

“I have been here since early morning with my wife and children,” Ansaf told Al Jazeera as she gave sandwiches to her children sitting on the ground.

“Last night I prepared all the things we could carry and left many things to make walking easier,” she added. “We couldn’t even wait a minute. We want to go back to our country in the north immediately.”

AND trucewhich began to be implemented on January 19 with the first exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners, was supposed to enable the return of displaced Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north after Second prisoner-for-prisoner exchangewhat happened on saturday.

However, Israel forcibly blocked Palestinian civilians from approaching Netzarim on Sunday, firing into crowds on at least three separate occasions, according to medical sources, and killing at least two Palestinians, according to Al-Awda Hospital, where the victims were admitted. At least nine people, including a child, were wounded.

Israel insisted that another prisoner, Arbel Yehud, was to be released on Saturday before Palestinians were allowed to return to their homes in the north.

The delay here has left Palestinians frustrated. Ahmed Abu Dan puffed on the remains of his cigarette while sitting next to his family.

“We’ve been through so much during this war,” the 55-year-old said. “When they told us we could go back to the north, we were overjoyed, but Israel deliberately expressed our happiness by making us wait.”

Ahmed is not interested in the technicalities of the delay. His only concern is returning home to the neighborhood of Shujaye in Gaza City, away from the memories of 15 months of war and displacement.

“What’s another one or two?” He was laughing with laughter. “We’re staying here no matter what, until they let us go.”

Ahmed and his family packed up their tent as soon as the ceasefire began, gathering their essentials in preparation for the arduous journey back north.

The family has been displaced 11 times since the war began, Ahmed said, explaining that his health and mental state had deteriorated after enduring so many months of living in tents. The experience means that if he returns to the north, he vows never to leave again – even if the ceasefire fails and war breaks out again.

“We were forced to flee to supposedly safe areas, only to be targeted there as well,” Ahmed said. “I can’t wait to kiss the soil of Gaza City again.

“I miss my relatives and my home in Shujayea, even if it is partially destroyed. I miss the neighborhood and everything there.”

What’s left?

While the entire Gaza Strip is a coastal enclave only 41 kilometers (25 miles)Israel bombed it during their war, the north was especially devastated.

Israel’s far-right settler movement has even demanded a permanent Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the establishment of illegal settlements in the region, home to the enclave’s largest urban area before the war, Gaza City.

Vast swathes of northern Gaza now appear uninhabited, but Ansaf has heard that her home, though badly damaged, is still standing.

“According to my neighbors, only one room and a bathroom in my house remain intact, but to me, that’s heaven compared to living in displacement,” she said with a broad smile.

“I miss my home very much,” added Ansaf. “We lived there only nine months before the war started, and I didn’t even finish it.”

Unlike ANSAF, Nada Awadallah has no information about the condition of her home in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City. What she does know is that the area around her home was a closed Israeli military zone and was difficult to access.

But this lack of information is not confirmation that her home was destroyed. And for Nada, that’s enough to try to come back.

“I can’t believe the day of my return has finally come,” said the 65-year-old, tears welling up in her eyes. “I will endure the exhaustion. I’ve been here since last night, sleeping on the street, and I’m ready to stay until we’re allowed. “

Nada fled with her family—five children and several grandchildren—from Tal Al-Hawa at the beginning of the war, eventually settling in a tent in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza. And all those family members have decided, for now, to stay where they are.

“There was a discussion between us about waiting longer before going back, but I couldn’t wait any longer,” said Nada. “I told them I’d crawl if I had to. What’s important is to go back and check my home.”

Back to the ruins

Mahmoud Mohsen, a 57-year-old father of seven, visited his daughter’s grave at the Deir El-Balah cemetery in central Gaza before heading to Netzarim.

Mahmoud’s daughter, along with her husband and three children, were killed in a bombing in Nuseirat in November 2023.

Originally from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, Mahmoud fled south to Rafah at the start of the war. After multiple moves, he eventually settled in Deir El-Balah.

“All I want now is to return to the ruins of my home. Nothing else matters,” Mahmoud said as he looked towards the checkpoint. “I’ll stay here until I’m allowed.”

“Just reaching this area brought me back to life. I miss the air of Gaza,” Mahmoud said. “Our journey during the war was one of hardship after hardship. Enough of this hell. “