Thousands of displaced Palestinians are courageously returning to Gaza City and its surrounding areas, navigating streets strewn with rubble and destruction caused by two years of relentless Israeli aggression.

The returnees, many walking along major roads like al-Rashid Street and Salah al-Din Street, face the heartbreaking reality of finding their homes reduced to ruins or rendered uninhabitable by Israel’s genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, large crowds of Palestinians were seen trudging along al-Rashid Street, a coastal road stretching from the north to the south of the Strip, and Salah al-Din Street, which spans at least seven kilometers. These routes, once bustling with life, now bear the scars of war, with al-Rashid Street alone having witnessed dozens of massacres as Israeli forces targeted civilians fleeing from northern Gaza in search of safety. The return of these resilient families underscores their unwavering determination to reclaim their lives despite the catastrophic toll of Israel’s actions.

Since October 2023, Israel’s brutal offensive has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, killing over 67,000 Palestinians and injuring approximately 170,000 others, predominantly women and children. The relentless violence has triggered a famine that has claimed 460 lives, including 154 children, exacerbating the suffering of an already besieged population. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reports that 1.9 million people—over 80% of Gaza’s population—have been forcibly displaced since the war began, with many enduring multiple displacements due to Israel’s continuous bombardments and military operations.

The scale of displacement has been staggering. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of July 20, 2025, approximately 88% of Gaza’s 360-square-kilometer territory—home to 2.3 million Palestinians—was under Israeli evacuation orders, effectively forcing nearly the entire population from their homes. Gaza City alone has seen over 1.2 million people displaced since mid-March 2025, as Israel intensified its assaults on the city’s neighborhoods.

On August 11, 2025, Israeli forces launched a devastating large-scale offensive on Gaza City, employing explosive-laden robots to demolish homes, heavy artillery shelling, indiscriminate gunfire, and mass forced displacement tactics. Observers have described this assault as part of Israel’s broader plan to reoccupy remaining areas of the Gaza Strip, further entrenching its illegal control over Palestinian land and lives.

Despite the unimaginable loss and destruction, the Palestinian people’s resilience shines through as they return to their homeland, determined to rebuild amid the ruins. The international community is once again called upon to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes, including the genocide, forced displacement, and starvation policies that have devastated Gaza. As Palestinians take their first steps toward recovery, their struggle for justice and self-determination remains a powerful testament to their enduring spirit in the face of oppression. (ILKHA)