Palestinians have returned to their homes in northern Gaza after 15 months of devastating war. At least 300,000 Palestinians walked for hours, with great hope and anxiety, to reach the lands where their homes once stood. Gazans, who encountered almost nothing during their return journey, were also faced with a great void in the north. A young man who walked for eight hours to reach his home said, “There were no cars, no services, not even water along the way. The north of Gaza was completely destroyed.” Once the busiest part of the strip, the north is now a ghost town after months of Israeli bombardment.
Israeli troops and tanks had dispersed and retreated to buffer zones on the edges of the area.
But after heavy bombardment and 15 months of conflict, nothing but rubble remains in the area.
Despite everything, Gazans who remain hopeful say, “A tent here is better than a tent in the south.”
