Half a Million Palestinians Return to Gaza as Ceasefire Holds

The Palestinian Civil Defense announced on Saturday that nearly half a million Palestinians have returned to Gaza City and the northern parts of the Strip since the ceasefire agreement took effect. The return comes as the scale of Israel’s destruction becomes painfully clear.

By the second day of the truce, streams of displaced families continued moving north from central and southern Gaza. Many traveled in overloaded vehicles or on foot. Along al-Rashid and Salah al-Din Streets, families carried their children and few belongings. Many found nothing left of their homes.

Some walked more than 15 kilometers from Khan Younis to Gaza City. They described the journey as exhausting. Inside the city, returnees walked among the rubble of destroyed buildings. Many broke down upon seeing their homes flattened.

The destruction poses enormous challenges for returning families. Basic infrastructure, including water, sewage, and health services, lies in ruins. Gaza’s Government Media Office said that over 90% of civilian infrastructure and 300,000 housing units were destroyed.

Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, told Al Jazeera that 1.5 million residents across Gaza have lost their homes.

Municipal spokesperson Assem Al-Nabeeh said their focus is on restoring water supplies, clearing streets, repairing sewage systems, and removing waste. He warned that the scale of destruction makes relief efforts extremely difficult.

Rescue teams are now recovering bodies from under the rubble. Since the ceasefire began, they have retrieved 63 bodies in Gaza City.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry in Gaza said police and security forces have redeployed in areas evacuated by Israeli troops to restore order and address chaos left behind. The ministry urged citizens to protect public and private property and follow official instructions.

Meanwhile, Al-Aqsa TV reported that resistance security forces arrested 17 wanted individuals, including a deputy leader of a criminal gang in northern Gaza.

The ceasefire, the first phase of the US-brokered deal between Hamas and Israel, took effect at noon on Friday after Israel’s cabinet approved it earlier that morning. Israeli forces have withdrawn from most of Gaza City except for parts of al-Tuffah, al-Zaytoun, and al-Shuja’iyya neighborhoods.