A historic return march: thousands of Palestinians arrive in the north of the Gaza Strip

At the end of the day on Monday, 300,000 Palestinians moved by force returned to the city and the north of Gaza for the first time since the start of the genocidal war of Israel.

A tide of people rushed into the two lanes of Al-Rashid Street, the western coastal road of the Gaza Strip designated for the return to the North as part of the cease-up agreement- fire between Israel and Hamas. While thousands and thousands of people walk to the west, in the east, vehicles are aligned bumpers against bumper and authorized to pass after inspection in rue Salah al-Din.

These were the scenes in Gaza on Monday, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had been moved to the south of the Gaza Strip since the start of the war began to return home.

Families who spoke to Mondoweiss expressed their joy and their feelings of hope by crossing the north of the Gaza Strip, where what remains of their houses awaits them. The inhabitants of the city of Gaza awaited their displaced relatives coming from the south, brandishing Palestinian flags and signs of victory and welcoming the returnees.

We endured everything during the war and we remained strong, but we cried more by finding our loved ones when we returned, “told Mondoweiss Ahmad Hussam, a resident in the north of the Gaza Strip who returned home.

Since last Friday evening, families have folded their tents in the south of the Gaza Strip and have headed towards the nearest point on the axis of Netzarim, while waiting to make the trip to return home in the north of The Gaza Strip. Many of them camped in the cold during the night in order to be the first to be allowed to pass. In accordance with the ceasefire agreement, displaced people were supposed to return home to the north of the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, but Israel obstructed on their return on the pretext that an Israeli prisoner, Arbel Yehuda, did not be among the four women soldiers released by Hamas on Saturday. Arbel Yehuda is not detained by Hamas, but by the Palestinian Islamic jihad in Gaza.

On Sunday, local media reported that an agreement had been reached. The Israeli prisoner would be given before next Saturday, when the next exchange of prisoners is supposed to take place.

On Monday evening, the government’s media office in Gaza said that 300,000 Palestinians had arrived in the city of Gaza and north from Gaza from the south.

I dreamed of this moment every night ”.

Joy is palpable among the crowds that flood the north of the Gaza Strip, returning home after 15 months of travel. Fatima Abd Rabbo, 44, carries a bag on his back and walks north. She knows that her house in the district of Jabalia was destroyed and that she will sleep next to her in the middle of the rubble, but she cannot contain her joy at having survived 15 months of genocidal war and that her children return With her.

“My feelings today are indescribable; It is as if a weight had been removed from our shoulders, ”says Fatima. “Even if we do not know what we will do once back, we are happy. We can rebuild everything as long as we are on our land and in good health “.” I dreamed of this moment every night, “she continues, walking. “Thank goodness, we lived to see him”. “This time, I will not leave my house, whatever happens,” swears Fatima.

Fatima and his family have lived in a tent in Khan Younis for several months. Although heading towards her destroyed house, she could not transport all her things on foot. She therefore left half of her property to Khan Younis, without pillows, covers or mattresses to sleep. “We took half of our property to alleviate the difficulty of the trip. We know that we will suffer in the north and that we will sleep on the rubble, but we are happy because we are going to rebuild, ”she says.

From the east of the Gaza Strip, via rue Salah al-Din, cars flock to the entrance to the Netzarim axis. Akram Safi, 36, is sitting in his car with his wife and children on the rear seat, his little daughter holding a piece of paper torn from a notebook. On the page, you can read: “Return to Gaza, the proud”.

Akram and his family waited in the car for two nights until they could enter the north. ” I will join my family as soon as I arrive. My brothers and sisters, we have not seen them since the start of the war, ”explains Akram to Mondoweiss. “We thank God for seeing us come back today. We suffered enough in the displaced camps.

“There is no pain comparable to that of being deprived of his house, and there is no happiness comparable to that of returning there,” he adds. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Israel stipulates that the Israeli army must withdraw from the residential areas of Gaza. The withdrawal started from the axis of Netzarim, which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip, and continued to the border with Egypt and the buffer area around the Gaza Strip .

After the first phase, which will last 42 days, two other phases should be implemented, in order to put an end to war. Negotiations for the second phase should start the sixteenth day of the current phase.

Hasan Suleih collected testimonies in Gaza for this report.

Tareq S. Hajjaj is the correspondent of Mondoweiss in Gaza and member of the Union of Palestinian writers. He made reports for Elbadi, Middle East Eye, and Al Monitor. Follow him on Twitter at @Tareqshajjjjjjjja.

Translation: JB for the media agency Palestine
Source: Mondoweiss