Navigating Uncertainty: Gazans Return Home Amidst Destruction and Challenges

As thousands of Gazans return home after a lengthy displacement due to ongoing conflict, they confront a dire humanitarian crisis. With significant infrastructure damage and a lack of basic services, the journey home promises to be just the beginning of a long struggle for recovery.

Thousands of Gazans are making their way home after being displaced for 15 months, marking the beginning of a precarious journey back to a war-torn land. The Gaza Strip, a small territory, offers little in terms of comfort or assurance for those returning. Journalist Ghada el-Kurd encapsulated the gravity of the situation: "We have to re-establish again from the beginning, from zero."

While immediate needs for food and shelter are being addressed with aid flowing at unprecedented levels, experts warn that the challenges ahead are immense. Many areas of Gaza remain devastated, with the UN estimating that 70% of buildings have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the conflict in October 2023. Jabaliya, a district heavily impacted by violence, has experienced catastrophic destruction.

For those who stayed behind, the return of displaced families could exacerbate already tight living conditions. Asmaa Tayeh, a resident from Jabaliya, highlighted how the influx of returnees is creating tension due to shared living spaces and escalating costs of basic goods like food, already causing a rise in market prices.

The pressures on water and electricity are expected to compound as more people return to their former neighborhoods. Despite these challenges, many returning Gazans express relief at being back home after a harrowing experience in the south. One resident shared her joy at returning to Beit Hanoun, stating, “We are overjoyed to return… leaving behind the suffering.”

As discussions around resettling Palestinians in neighboring countries arise — met with resistance from those nations — tensions remain high over the future landscape of Gaza. Journalist Ghada el-Kurd emphasizes the need for a viable future within Gaza, stating, "I agree with Trump that people deserve a better life, but why not in Gaza?"

With reports indicating that around 150,000 people have already fled Gaza since the conflict's onset, the clarion call for urgent rebuilding is evident as the community grapples with loss, longing, and the essential need to restore dignity amidst devastation.