GAZA/CAIRO. Displaced Palestinians returning to Gaza City this week have found the once-thriving urban center in ruins, with the destruction from 15 months of fighting leaving many seeking shelter amid the rubble. As they attempt to rebuild their lives, others search desperately for lost loved ones.
Gaza City, located in the northern part of the enclave, is now a shadow of its former self. Buildings lay destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and the streets are littered with debris and torn-up concrete. “Look at this scene, there is nothing to say,” said Abu Mohammad, a resident searching for a place to settle. “People will sleep on the ground. There is nothing left.”
Many of those returning had traveled long distances, sometimes 20 kilometers or more, along the coastal highway from the south. “I am waiting for my father, mother, and brother. We lost them on the way,” said Jameel Abed, who trekked from the central Gaza Strip. “We found some lights here and we are waiting for them.”
By Monday evening, Gaza’s Hamas-run authorities reported that over 300,000 displaced individuals, almost half of those evacuated from the north during the war, had made their way back into Gaza City. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of others were still making the journey north, as mediators prepared for the second stage of ceasefire talks scheduled for next week.
As part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, three more Israeli hostages are set to be released on Thursday by Hamas, followed by another three on Saturday. In exchange, a number of Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails, with some set to go into exile in countries such as Qatar, Turkey, and Algeria.
In Cairo, Hamas officials, including Mohammad Darwish, head of the group’s leading council, held discussions with Egyptian mediators about potential violations of the ceasefire and efforts to reunify Palestinian factions. One key proposal from Egypt involves forming a committee to manage post-war Gaza.
The current ceasefire agreement, brokered with Egyptian and Qatari mediation and U.S. support, includes the release of 33 hostages over six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons. So far, seven hostages and 290 prisoners have been exchanged. A second stage of negotiations, which will focus on the fate of over 60 hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, is set to begin next Tuesday.
The success of these talks could pave the way for a full resolution of the conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 47,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities. The violence was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 individuals taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from hardliners in his government, who are unhappy that the agreement leaves Hamas in control of Gaza. Despite this, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri expressed confidence that the second phase of negotiations would proceed as planned, saying, “We are ready to begin negotiations for the second phase at the specified time and are confident that Netanyahu has no choice but to proceed with the second phase.”
What happens after the full implementation of the ceasefire remains uncertain, especially with Israel’s continued insistence that Hamas will not be allowed to retain control of Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians be relocated to Egypt or Jordan has been strongly rejected by both Palestinian officials and residents, further complicating the situation.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
