[Gaza, aftermath] After 15 months of war, those who had fled are preparing to return

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In the Gaza Strip, the ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, January 19, after 15 months of war that claimed 47,000 Gazan lives. A very fragile agreement, this cessation of hostilities is conditional on the release in several stages of about thirty Israeli hostages. As early as Sunday, three female hostages were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held by the Israeli army. Among the other measures provided for in the agreement is the return of the displaced Gazans, currently refugees in the south of the enclave.

From the very beginning of the war in October 2023, the Jewish state ordered and forced the residents of the northern part of the Gaza Strip to abandon their homes. Several cities in the northern part of the enclave were then almost deserted by their historical population, who had been forcibly moved further south. As Youssef*, a native of Gaza City, said:.

« Everyone is getting ready to head back north. Personally, I’m afraid to go there and discover the ruins of my house. The places where I have memories of Gaza. Gaza is completely destroyed. But I’m going to go see. Of course I’m going to go there »That's what we do," explains Youssef.

However, Youssef will still have to wait seven days after the ceasefire begins in order to embark on the journey back. This is what the agreement between Hamas and Israel stipulates.

Trying to reclaim the ruins

Amande Bazerolle is the emergency operations coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières in Gaza. In the al-Mawasi displaced persons camp where she has been working for two months, the majority of families are considering returning, even though their homes have been destroyed.

« Replanting their tent in the territory that was theirs is very important to them »«, emphasizes Amande Bazerolle.« When you come from the north, you come from the north, not from the south. They want to go see their lands, to look for the people they have lost. There are families that have been separated. They need to go back home. Resettle and rebuild at home ».

According to the UN, nearly 2 million Gazans were forcibly displaced during the war, which is almost the entire population of the enclave.