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Residents of northern Gaza who were forced to move south by the Israeli military are looking forward to returning this weekend, while loved ones they left behind are busy preparing to welcome them after months of separation caused by the war.
Sources told The National the return will begin on Saturday, coinciding with the release of four female Israeli soldiers by Hamas. Those returning on foot will use Al Rashid road along the coast, while those in vehicles must take Salah Al Din Road, passing through the Netzarim checkpoint, and undergo searches conducted by US and Egyptian private security firms, The National understands. Only traffic heading north from the south will be permitted.
“Our hearts are longing for the people in the south who are coming ... Many are yearning for family and loved ones who were forcibly displaced to the south due to the devastating war,” Saeed Ghoneim told The National from the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza city.
Mr Ghoneim, 34, said he had tidied the apartments of his two sisters as best he could before their arrival, even though they had been badly damaged in the war.
“My mother is also in the south, and I have arranged to bring her to stay with me for a month or two because we miss her a lot, and she has been away from us for a long time,” he said.
“The return of the displaced northern people was a dream for us, and finally, thank God, it has come true.
“They will return to devastation, but the important thing is they return to their homes safely and securely, and that we see them in good health.”
Mohammed Sabeih, a resident of the Shati refugee camp in Gaza city, said he felt anticipation for the reunions but also sadness over relatives who had died in the conflict.
“There are many preparations for our displaced people in the south, even though our wounds are deep and everyone has lost in this war ... We are getting ready to welcome them with all our love,” Mr Sabeih, 41, said.
“The first preparations for receiving the people from the south involved clearing their homes of rubble and dust and getting them ready, for those who still have homes. We will also prepare many meals to welcome them, host them, and celebrate.”
Mr Sabeih’s brother, sister-in-law and their children, as well as his sister and her husband, were all killed in the war.
“I long to embrace all the displaced – my brothers and sisters, relatives, and all loved ones,” he said.
The day after they return, he plans to take them to visit the graves of those who died.
Despite the eagerness of many Gazans to return north, a lack of money for transport and an absence of a place to go because of the widespread destruction of homes is holding some people back.
Rami Al Rifi, 30, from the Nasser neighbourhood in Gaza city, said some of his family members would have to be left behind in Deir Al Balah, the central city to where they fled.
“We tried to book a car for all of us to return, but the prices were very high, and it was difficult for us to afford to take all our belongings back,” Mr Al Rifi told The National.
He plans to go back with his father and two of his sisters, along with a few of their belongings, while the rest of the family would have to wait while they tried to repair their damaged home.
Mr Al Rifi said they had to sell two solar panels to raise money for transport back north. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many drivers available because everything is booked,” he added.
“We miss the north, the towns in the north. Jabalia camp, Shati camp – every place, even if it’s in ruins,” he said. “We long for everything and for life in our areas and towns.”
The Israel military levelled Jabalia after launching an operation against Hamas and other armed groups in northern Gaza in October.
“In Jabalia everything has been destroyed. Even those who remained there say there is no place to set up our tents or store our belongings,” said Fahmi Al Hawajri, 34, who has been living in the Al Mawasi area in Khan Younis.
“Returning to the north is not easy and is full of suffering because, first of all, we don't have money for the journey, and we have no home left in the north,” he said, adding that authorities had not so far provided people with tents to live if they return north, or designated areas to set them up.
Under the truce agreement to end more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Gazans will receive a surge in humanitarian aid after experiencing severe deprivation during most of the conflict. This includes food, fuel, clothing and medical items, as well as tents and caravans to house those who have lost their homes.
Saturday will be the second exchange of hostages and prisoners between the two sides since the truce began on January 19. Israel will release 200 Palestinian prisoners serving life or extended jail terms in exchange for four Israeli soldiers to be freed. Most of them will be forced to live in exile for three to five years, being released in Egypt, from which they will most likely head to Turkey or Algeria.
