They walk for miles through landscapes of rubble where Gaza’s roads once stood. At key crossing points, humanitarian teams tally those taking advantage of the ceasefire to return.
Between January 27-28, 376,000 people made the journey—often to nothing but ruins. Half were men, while women and children made up the other half. The most vulnerable—elderly, sick, disabled individuals, as well as pregnant and nursing women—have been particularly affected. Exhausted, 250 people required hospitalization, and one elderly man died before making it back to what remained of his home.
No aid transfers from South to North
Aid workers walked alongside the returnees. More than 200 volunteers from 20 organizations are guiding the way, offering psychological support and warning about unexploded ordnance. However, they are not allowed to transport supplies beyond the Netzarim corridor, which divides Gaza into two parts. Israeli authorities insisted there was “no need,” pointing to humanitarian aid trucks also entering the north.
Between January 26 and 29, Israel reported that 3,000 aid trucks had entered the enclave, denying accusations of blocking relief efforts. Aid is reaching northern Gaza through the Erez and Zikim crossings. Some improvements have been made: Fuel deliveries have enabled UNICEF to run water treatment pumps and 13 wells. Gas supplies have allowed a communal kitchen to reopen in North Gaza and five bakeries to operate in Gaza City. The World Health Organization has also managed to deliver fuel for generators at 20 medical facilities and for ambulances.
But the response remained vastly inadequate, warned Olivier Routeau, operations director for the humanitarian group Première Urgence Internationale. “Most aid organizations have relocated to the south because of the bombings. We’ve been able to conduct some missions in the north, but we can’t establish an operational base there. We go in and come back out,” he explained.
Returning home—No matter the cost
“Until roads and borders are fully open, the situation will remain catastrophic,” said Monther Shoblaq, former director of Gaza’s municipal water services and now in charge of emergency drinking water distribution. “Services can’t meet the needs of so many returning people. Infrastructure is destroyed. We don’t have enough fuel to run all the remaining water wells. On top of that, there’s not enough food, no health centers, no tents.”
Despite these grim realities, Shoblaq believed those returning to the north intended to stay. “Some might go back south temporarily for essentials, but their lives are here, in their neighborhoods—even if their homes are gone. After a year in the south, they’ve learned one thing: there’s no such thing as a ‘safe zone’ there, despite what the Israeli military claimed.”
To assess what displaced residents intend to do, the Norwegian Refugee Council and UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, surveyed more than 130,000 people across 131 sites. Their findings revealed that 49% wanted to return to their home governorates, while 12% hoped to return specifically to their own homes or those of relatives.
For many, home is home—no matter what remains.
Reproduced with permission La Croix International.
