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Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire

A tide of humanity heads back to Gaza City, carrying belongings through damaged highways and ruins left by Israel.

Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Palestinians, forcibly displaced to the southern part of Gaza by Israel, make their way north. [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Published On 11 Oct 2025

Tens of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians are making their way back to devastated areas in northern Gaza as Israeli forces stop operations as agreed under phase one of the ceasefire plan with Hamas, and partially withdraw.

Gaza’s al-Rashid Street, which has witnessed massive population movements northward and southward over recent months as Palestinians fled Israeli attacks, is once again witnessing a tide of humanity on the move.

Now, with the ceasefire in effect and Israeli forces withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor that previously divided the road, tens of thousands of Palestinians are journeying north – hoping this time to return permanently.

“Once again [displaced Palestinians] are taking the same exact road, the only lifeline for Palestinians now to go back to their homes in Gaza and the northern part [of the enclave],” reported Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud from the central Gaza coastal highway.

Mahmoud noted that the critical highway has been extensively damaged by Israeli bulldozers, creating a difficult passage for those carrying their belongings.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Al Nuseirat, Gaza, said: “Since this morning, we have seen families walking towards Gaza City. We saw children, women, elderly, cars, vans, donkey carts loaded with furniture. Families removed their makeshift tents to take and reset them over the ruins of their destroyed homes in Gaza City.”

These residents were originally forced to abandon Gaza City due to bombardment, only to find overcrowded conditions in central and southern Gaza upon arrival.

“While this return marks a historic moment, it must be accompanied by substantive measures to address the humanitarian crisis,” Abu Azzoum added.

Most returnees are discovering barely any intact buildings in Gaza City following Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground invasion there. There is now an urgent need for temporary shelters and mobile housing units for these returning families.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 67,211 people and wounded 169,961 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in southern Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks and about 200 were taken captive.

Palestinians return to inspect their homes after the Israeli army withdrew from some areas east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, 10 October 2025. [Haitham Imad/EPA]
Palestinian families return to inspect their homes after the Israeli army withdrew from some areas east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. [Haitham Imad/EPA]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
A Palestinian woman, forcibly displaced to the southern part of Gaza on Israel's orders, makes her way to return to the north. [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Displaced Palestinians ride on a horse-drawn cart loaded with belongings as they pass along the heavily damaged al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City. [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have begun the long journey back to their land in the north of Gaza. [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Tens of thousands of people have been on the move since a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect earlier on Friday. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
The Israeli military said it has pulled its troops back to agreed positions under the first phase of the truce with Hamas. [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Palestinians returning to their homes in the Gaza Strip have told the AFP news agency they are feeling mixed emotions as they make their journeys. [Haitham Imad/EPA]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
In Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, Ameer Abu Iyadeh, 32, said, “We thank God for this situation” even as “we’re going back to our areas, full of wounds and sorrow.” [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Tens of thousands return to shattered Gaza homes after ceasefire
Areej Abu Saadaeh, 53, who was displaced early in the conflict, said she was finally heading home. “I’m happy about the truce and peace, even though I’m a mother of a son and a daughter who were killed, and I grieve for them deeply. Yet, the truce also brings joy: returning to our homes,” she said. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]