Palestinians are finally able to return to their Gaza homes — only to find them reduced to ruins
After a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced, buildings reduced to rubble were all that was left for thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza.
TEL AVIV — Burned-out buildings reduced to rubble were all that were left to return to for thousands of displaced Palestinians who made the journey back to northern Gaza on foot this week after more than a year since Israel’s military assault forced them to flee.
"Everything is destroyed as you can see. Nothing remains," Asma Qaoud told NBC News' crew on the ground Monday in what remained of the Jabalia refugee camp.
"Everything has been devastated — our homes and our hearts," Qaoud, 32, said as she sat in front of a collapsed building surrounded by rubble.
She was one of thousands of displaced Palestinians to make the trek back to northern Gaza after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect Sunday and brought to a halt Israeli forces' 15-month offensive in the enclave. The first days of the truce have seen the release of the first hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, as well as Palestinians held in Israeli custody.
Asma Qaoud, 32, speaks to NBC surrounded by ruins in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Monday.NBC NewsAccording to the United Nations, around 90% of Gaza's population — almost 1.9 million people — have been displaced from their homes and forced to live in tent camps and other makeshift shelters. The U.N. has previously estimated that around 60% of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed, including schools and hospitals.
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