Displaced Palestinians Return to Ruined Homes as Gaza Ceasefire Begins

During the three-hour delay in Gaza ceasefire implementation, Israeli military bombardments killed 19 people on Sunday.

Sun Jan 19 2025
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KEY POINTS

  • Gaza truce went into effect on Sunday after a delay.
  • Israeli military kills 19 Palestinians before the ceasefire on Sunday.
  • Since October 7, 2023, Israeli bombardments in Gaza have killed over 46,900 Palestinians.
  • Thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning to destroyed homes across Gaza.
  • The truce includes an exchange of 33 hostages for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
  • Aid trucks carrying food, fuel, and shelters have started entering Gaza.

 

GAZA CITY: Thousands of displaced, war-weary Palestinians set off across the devastated Gaza Strip to return to their ruined homes on Sunday, after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas went into effect following an initial delay.

The ceasefire began nearly three hours later than scheduled, during which Israeli military continued offensive in Gaza, with the territory’s civil defence agency reporting 19 people killed and 25 wounded in bombardments on Sunday.

Gaza’s health ministry said that since October 7, 2023, at least 46,913 Palestinians, mostly women and children have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli bombardment campaign in response to Hamas’s attack on Israel.

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This aerial view shows displaced Palestinians returning to the war-devastated Jabalia refugee camp —Photo by AFP

Thousands of Gazans carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen heading back to their ruined homes, after more than 15 months of relentless Israeli bombardment campaign that displaced the vast majority of the territory’s population, in many cases more than once.

In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds of Gazans streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape dotted with piles of rubble and destroyed buildings.

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Palestinians return to Jabalia refugee camp —Photo by AFP

And in the main southern city of Khan Younis, people celebrated their pending homecoming although most of the residential buildings are reduced to rubbles.

The truce had been scheduled to begin at 0630 GMT (8:30 am) but a last-minute dispute over the list of hostages to be freed on the first day led to the holdup.

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Displaced Palestinians return to Rafah in southern Gaza. —Photo by AFP

Qatar, a mediator of the truce, later confirmed it had gone into effect.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified the three women set to be released as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher.

Hamas, meanwhile, said it was waiting for Israel to furnish “a list containing the names of 90 Palestinian prisoners from the categories of women and children” also to be released on the first day.

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Dozens of displaced Palestinians walk along a road in the as-Saftawi area of Jabalia. —Photo by AFP

A total of 33 hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce, in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.

It follows a deal struck by mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt after months of negotiations.

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Displaced Palestinians make their way past rubble as they attempt to return to their homes in northern Gaza. —Photo by AFP

In a televised address on Saturday, Netanyahu called the 42-day first phase a “temporary ceasefire” and said Israel had US support to return to the war if necessary.

Aid trucks start crossing into Gaza

The UN’s food agency, the World Food Programme, said that trucks carrying humanitarian aid have started entering Gaza from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in the south and another crossing in Zikim in the north.

The first trucks carry wheat flour and ready-to-eat food parcels “for people in desperate need,” the organisation said, adding that it aims to deliver food on a daily basis using routes from Egypt, Jordan and Israel.

“This ceasefire is critical for the humanitarian response. Safety and access must be ensured.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of trucks waited at the Gaza border, poised to enter from Egypt as soon as they got the all-clear to deliver desperately needed aid.

Some trucks were loaded with prefabricated houses.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 600 trucks a day would enter Gaza after the ceasefire took effect, including 50 carrying fuel.

Initial delay in truce

In Gaza City, well before the ceasefire went into effect, people were already celebrating, waving Palestinian flags in the street.

But when it became clear the truce had been delayed, the joy gave way to desperation for some.

The Israeli army warned Gaza residents early Sunday not to approach its forces or Israeli territory.

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Displaced Palestinians cheer as they return to Rafah. —Photo by AFP

“We urge you not to head towards the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram, adding that “moving from south to north via Gaza Valley puts you at risk”.

The war’s only previous truce, for one week in November 2023, also saw the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The truce took effect on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second term as president of the United States.

Trump, who claimed credit for the ceasefire deal after months of effort by the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, told US network NBC on Saturday that he had told Netanyahu the war “has to end”.

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Dozens of displaced Palestinians walk along a road in the as-Saftawi area of Jabalia, as they leave areas near Gaza City where they had taken refuge —Photo by AFP

“We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done,” he said.

Brett McGurk, the pointman for outgoing President Joe Biden, was joined in the region by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in an unusual pairing to finalise the agreement, US officials said.

Under the deal, Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow displaced Palestinians to return “to their residences”, Qatar’s prime minister said in announcing the deal.

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