'They've destroyed everything': Palestinians return to devastation in Gaza City
'They've destroyed everything': Palestinians return to devastation in Gaza City
Thousands of Palestinians have begun returning from southern Gaza to Gaza City, weeks after fleeing the Israeli offensive that turned much of the city into rubble.
Footage showed large numbers walking north up damaged narrow coastal roads towards the collapsed towers and ruined buildings of the territory's biggest city.
The returnees, many travelling on foot for more than 20km, carried what remained of their belongings on their backs. Those who could afford it paid high prices to hire donkey carts or small trucks to make the arduous journey north.
Some waved Palestinian flags and flashed victory signs. But the prevailing mood was one of exhaustion. Many appeared weak and malnourished after months of displacement, hunger and fear.
"The road is long and difficult, there's no food or water," says Alaa Saleh, a schoolteacher who fled Gaza City with his wife and six children to Khan Younis.
"I left my family behind and started walking north. Thousands around me are struggling. Hiring a car costs around 4,000 shekels (£924; $1,227), far beyond what most people can afford."
Those returning say they are driven by desperation rather than confidence that it is safe. Many have already been told that their homes no longer exist.
Around 700,000 people from Gaza City and the north were displaced by the Israeli offensive, which saw intense aerial bombardment and the entry of troops into some neighbourhoods. The Israeli military described Gaza City as Hamas's "last stronghold".
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