Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mahmoud Issa and Dawoud Abu Alkas
CAIRO/CAIRO (Reuters) – Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip set up tents for displaced families on Thursday, two days before they are expected to return to their home areas under the terms of a cease-fire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas.
In an open field surrounded by blown-up buildings, a group of men began setting up rows of white tents to accommodate families planning to return to the north on Saturday when the Palestinian militant group Hamas is due to release another group of hostages in exchange for dozens of Palestinians jailed by Israel.
Many of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians expected to return to the northern Gaza Strip will return to homes in ruins after a 15-month offensive by the Israeli military that devastated the enclave and killed more than 47,000 Gazans.
In October, Israeli forces returned to the northern areas in a major operation against Hamas targeting the Jabalia refugee camp near Gaza City and the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, clearing the area of its residents and demolishing most of the buildings.
“Is this the tent we dreamed of? 10 people will have to fit here. This tent is for my children coming from the south. Really, is this enough room?” Wael Jundiya asked as he prepared a tent for his children to return from where they took refuge in the Mawasi coastal area in the south.
“On Saturday, people will come from the south and flood Gaza (City), where will they go? This camp will hold 100, 200 people. 1.5 million will come from the south,” Jundiya told Reuters.
Israel launched the attack on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across the border on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Hamas released a statement on Thursday saying the return of displaced families would begin after Saturday’s exchange ended and Israeli forces withdrew from the coastal road to the north. At least four hostages are expected to be handed over to Israel on Saturday.
RETURN ON FOOT
Hamas said people would be allowed to return on foot along the coastal road, meaning a walk of several miles to the official northern area from where they could try to be transported by vehicles, which would be searched at checkpoints. Returning people must not carry weapons, Hamas said.
A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the group was in contact with several Arab and international parties to assist in the return and aid operation, including providing tents. He said that Hamas, which governs the enclave, would immediately begin repair work on the houses that were not completely destroyed.
“We will do all we can to help our people. The municipalities have plans to welcome families returning to the north, including setting up tents for them,” he told Reuters.
In Jabalia, the largest of eight historic refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, and the focus of Israel’s campaign over the past three months, many have returned to live in their destroyed homes, lighting small fires to try to keep their children warm.
“They are talking about a truce, a ceasefire and aid delivery. It’s been three days since we came back and we can’t find water to drink. We can’t find blankets to warm our children. We all depend on bonfires. At night we want to have some wood for a bonfire, we use plastic that causes disease,” said Mohammed Badr, father of 10.
His wife, Umm Nidal, said she could not believe the total destruction.
“There’s nothing left, you can’t walk in the streets. Houses have collapsed on top of each other. Get lost, you don’t know if this is your home or not,” she said. “The smell of dead bodies, and the martyrs are in the streets.”
