Thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to what remains of their homes across Gaza on Friday, following a ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which led to the withdrawal of Israeli forces and brought an end to weeks of intense fighting.
According to Reuters, long lines of people were seen walking north along Gaza’s coastal highway toward Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban centre, which had come under heavy bombardment in one of Israel’s most extensive offensives of the war.
Among those returning was Ismail Zayda, 40, who spoke of the devastation that greeted him in the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City.
“Thank God my house is still standing. But the place is destroyed — my neighbours’ houses are gone, entire districts have vanished,” he told Reuters.
Further south, in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, residents navigated what reporters described as a dusty moonscape — the wreckage of neighbourhoods flattened during earlier Israeli ground operations. Most walked silently through the ruins, searching for what was left of their lives.
The Trump-brokered ceasefire marks a significant turning point after months of escalation, though the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains dire. Returning families face destroyed infrastructure, limited access to clean water and electricity, and widespread displacement.
