With ceasefire in place, a flurry of activity in Gaza as families head home

GAZA - An unfamiliar buzz of excitement and hope is sweeping across Gaza - a rare sentiment in a territory battered by 15 months of a vicious war, and an abnormal feeling amid the widespread destruction of infrastructure and souls.

For Raed Abu Jihad, one of the over two million people displaced by the violence, the sound of celebratory gunfire mingling with chants of Allahu Akbar (God is great) no longer feels out of place. The echoes reverberated through the dirt roads surrounding his tent in Khan Younis, where displaced families gathered after sunset, their voices brimming with hope.

The long-held dream of returning home has become a reality following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Abu Jihad, 52, has endured the anguish of loss and displacement since the war began in October 2023. Relentless air strikes forced his family of 10 to flee their home in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza for relative safety in the south.

Speaking to TRT World, he said "When I called my journalist friend to confirm the news, he assured me it was true. For the first time in months, I felt like there was light at the end of this tunnel."

Indeed, the tunnel has been long and dark.

'Life will return'

Before ceasefire talks advanced, Gaza's humanitarian crisis reached catastrophic levels. Over 90 percent of the population faces acute food insecurity, with nearly all displaced.

Now many people are preparing to return to their homes - even if they have been razed.

"Some ask, what's the difference between one tent and another?" said Yassin Qassad, a father of seven who built a vegetable stall to survive.

Speaking to TRT World, he added, "A displacement tent means the war continues; you're far from your land, your neighbourhood, your loved ones. But a tent on the rubble of your home says life will return, the war has paused, and the bitterness of displacement has ended. It means life itself."

Qassad's family was ready to leave at a moment’s notice. “Whatever I’ve built here doesn’t matter. What matters is being near our old streets, our memories, and our neighbours," he said.

Others, like Mohamed Yousef Abu Taha, shared the same resolve. Displaced since May, he has moved through various shelters before landing at his in-laws’ damaged home, where he carved out a single room for his family. News of the ceasefire filled him with determination.

"Our neighbourhood is almost completely destroyed. But none of us will wait a second now that the truce is official. We’ll go back, even if we have to walk or crawl," he said.

What's on the table?

The ceasefire deal's first phase would see the release of 33 of the 90 Israeli hostages in Gaza. The release will comprise women, children, the elderly, and the sick. In return, Israel will release 30 Palestinian pisoners for every civilian hostage and 50 Palestinian detainees for every Israeli female soldier Hamas releases. The deal also requires 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the ceasefire, 50 of them carrying fuel, with 300 of the trucks allocated to north.

This phase will be accompanied by a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops over 60 days. The second phase, anticipated to begin 16 days into the ceasefire, aims to address the release of 61 remaining hostages, including military-age men, and the repatriation of the deceased, culminating in a full Israeli military withdrawal.

Palestinians in Gaza - starved, displaced, and traumatised - cling to the possibility of lasting peace. A growing crowd of men, women, and children gathered in Khan Younis this week, clutching flashlights, carrying flags and chanting: "It's over, it's over! We're going back north!" Abu Jihad joined, along with three of his sons.

"For us, a truce means going back to what's left of our homes. Even if it's rubble, it's ours. It's where we belong," he told TRT World.

The road back home

Not far from the jubilant father, others grappled with mixed emotions. Families who had lost loved ones in the relentless bombardment found themselves caught between sorrow and the bittersweet hope of returning home.

"It's hard to celebrate when you know the people you left behind are gone," one man reflected. "But at least we'll be able to visit their graves, to say goodbye properly–that's something."

Since Israel unleashed its wrath on Palestine's Gaza in October 2023, in response to a cross-border attack by the resistance group Hamas, Gaza residents have endured relentless violence.

Over 46,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, and nearly 2.3 million have been displaced. A brief six-day ceasefire in November 2023 offered a fleeting glimpse of relief. Since then, it's been nothing but death.

The shared sense of unity among the displaced is unmistakable. In makeshift settlements and streets filled with debris, nightly gatherings and impromptu parades reflect the hope for a better tomorrow.

In the nearby Mawasi area, families gathered around temporary shelters, exchanging hopeful shouts across the distance. “It’s over, everyone, get ready!” one man called, prompting a chorus of enthusiastic replies: “We’re ready! We’re ready!”

Community's initiative

Local authorities, too, are working to support the returnees, clearing debris, reopening roads, and restoring infrastructure.

Teams were also mobilising basic transport, such as animal-drawn carts, to help families carry belongings back to their neighbourhoods.

"We've received daily appeals from families who've already returned or are preparing to," Saeb Luqan, a spokesman for Khan Younis municipality said. "They're asking us to clear blocked roads, fill large craters, and rebuild water networks. These are all signs of the large-scale return we're anticipating."

However, the Gaza Government Media Office on Wednesday cautioned residents against returning home too soon, for fear of unexploded bombs or other remnants of war. "Stay away from devastated areas that are seeing heavy bombardment. Avoid destroyed homes that had been bombed," it said.

The destruction is staggering: 37 percent of Khan Younis and nearly all of Rafah lie in ruins, with 61 percent of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed. Yet the will to return remains steadfast.

"We'll rebuild from nothing," Abu Taha said. "But being near our old streets, our neighbours, and what's left of our homes. That's what matters. It's a step toward reclaiming our lives."

This article is published in collaboration with Egab.