'I will crawl if I have to': Palestinians eager to return to northern Gaza Israel-Palestinian conflict news
Nuserat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine – For the second day in a row, Ansaf Khadra sat with his family on al-Nuwairi Hill, the nearest al-Rashid coastal road in Nuseirat. On the ground, waiting to be allowed to return to her home, or whatever was left of it. , located in northern Gaza.
Ansaf, a mother of four, was one of thousands of displaced people in southern Gaza who traveled to Rashid immediately after the release of four Israeli prisoners in a ceasefire with Hamas the previous day.
The plan was to go to Rashid and then try to pass through Israel's Nezarim checkpoint. Beyond that, it’s northern Gaza.
“I have been here since early in the morning with my husband and children,” Ansaf told Al Jazeera as he handed out sandwiches to children sitting on the floor.
“Last night I packed everything we could carry and left a lot behind to make walking easier,” she added. “We cannot wait even a minute. We want to return to the northern lands immediately.”
The ceasefire, which began on January 19 with an initial exchange of Israeli prisoners and Palestinian prisoners, was supposed to allow displaced Palestinians to return to the north from southern Gaza after a second prisoner exchange. Saturday place.
However, Israel on Sunday forcibly prevented Palestinian civilians from approaching Nezarim, according to medical sources, firing into crowds on at least three separate occasions and killing at least two Palestinians, according to Al Odah hospital, which received the casualties. die. At least nine people were injured, including a child.
Israel insists that another female captive, Abel Yehud, should be released on Saturday before Palestinians can return to their homes in the north.
The delay has frustrated Palestinians here. Ahmed Abu Dan sat next to his family, smoking a remaining cigarette.
“We've been through so much in this war,” the 55-year-old said. “We were ecstatic when they told us we could return to the north, but Israel deliberately undermined our happiness by making us wait.”
Ahmed is not interested in the technical details of the delay. His only concern is to return home to Gaza City's Shujayea neighborhood, away from the memories of 15 months of war and displacement.
“It'll be fine in a day or two,” he quipped with a smile. “No matter what, we're going to stay here until they let us through.”
As soon as the ceasefire began, Ahmed and his family packed their tents and packed their essentials in preparation for the arduous journey back north.
Ahmed said the family had been displaced 11 times since the war began, explaining that his health and mental state had deteriorated after living in a tent for so many months. The experience meant that if he did return to the north, he vowed never to leave again – even if the ceasefire failed and war broke out again.
“We were forced to flee to areas that were supposed to be safe, only to be targeted there,” Ahmed said. “I can’t wait to kiss the soil of Gaza City again.
“I miss my relatives and my home in Shujaye, even though it was partially destroyed. I miss my neighbors and everything there.”
What's left?
While the entire Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave only 41 kilometers (25 square miles) long, was bombarded by Israel during the war, the northern region was particularly damaged.
Israel's far-right settler movement has even pushed for permanent ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the establishment of illegal settlements in the area, which is home to Gaza City, the pre-war enclave's largest urban area.
Large swaths of northern Gaza now appear uninhabitable, but Ansaf heard her home was still standing despite being severely damaged.
“According to my neighbors, only one room and one bathroom in my house are intact, but for me, compared to the life of being displaced, it was paradise,” she said with a smile.
“I miss my home so much,” Ansaf added. “We only lived there for nine months before the war started and I hadn’t even finished the furniture.”
Unlike Ansaf, Nada Awadallah has no information about the status of her home in Tel Hawa, Gaza City. All she knew was that the area around her home was an Israeli military restricted area and difficult to access.
But the lack of information does not confirm that her home was destroyed. For Nada, trying to come back was enough.
“I can't believe the day of return has finally arrived,” the 65-year-old said with tears in his eyes. “I will live with the exhaustion. I have been here since last night, sleeping on the street, and I am prepared to stay until we are allowed through.”
Nada fled Tal Hawa with his family (five children and several grandchildren) at the beginning of the war, eventually settling in a tent in Mawasi, southern Gaza. All of these family members have decided to stay put for now.
“We argued among ourselves about waiting longer before going back, but I couldn't wait any longer,” Nada said. “I told them I would crawl if I had to. The important thing is that I go back and see my home.”
Return to the ruins
Mahmoud Mohsen, 57, a father of seven, was on his way to Netzarim to visit his daughter at the Deir el-Balah cemetery in central Gaza Sweeping graves.
Mahmoud's daughter, husband and three children were killed in an explosion in Nuseirat in November 2023.
Mahmoud is from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza and fled south to Rafah when the war began. After many displacements, he eventually settled in Deir al-Balah.
“I just want to go back to the ruins of my home now. Nothing else matters,” Mahmoud said, staring at the checkpoint. “I'll stay here until I'm allowed to pass.”
“Just arriving in this area brought me back to life. I miss the Gaza air,” Mahmoud said. “Our journey during the war has been a difficult one. Enough of this hell.”