Palestinians returning to their homes in Gaza were shocked at the extent of the destruction and devastation left behind by the Israeli war machine after 15 months of war and as a ceasefire took effect on Sunday.
Asharq Al-Awsat accompanied residents of Jabalia as they returned to their homes and assessed the extent of the destruction.
“Where are our homes?!” asked Amal al-Asakry in despair as she arrived at Jabalia camp, which has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Her house and others have been razed to the ground.
“We have nothing left. Our lives and future... they destroyed our homes and the future of our children,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“I returned to Jabalia hoping to find something left of my house, my clothes and my furniture, but I found nothing. The house has been completely destroyed,” she lamented.
Israel carried out a military operation in Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun for over a hundred days, using its entire military might to carry out air strikes, ground operations and bomb houses, hospitals and other buildings.
Another resident, Mahmoud al-Sahhar, believed that his house would still be standing after he came across a photograph taken by an Israeli soldier that showed that his house was partially damaged.
When he returned to Jabalia, he was shocked to find out that it had been totally destroyed. “I built this house brick by brick so that I can secure my family’s future,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, pointing to his home that may have been destroyed shortly before the Israeli withdrawal.
Asharq Al-Awsat's tour of the area showed that no party could come up with a close estimate of the extent of the damage given how massive it is. The area has become unrecognizable due to the destruction and damage.
Plans to remove the rubble from the streets are no longer viable because it is just everywhere. Jabalia has effectively been turned into Gaza’s largest pile of rubble.
Residents couldn’t even get their vehicles and carts to move across the area because roads have been destroyed.
Nemr al-Nimnim told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I was raised in the camp, but I couldn’t recognize any of its roads. It will take years to remove the rubble from Gaza, especially Jabalia and the nearby areas. Reconstruction may take decades.”
He said he was hoping to make a quick return to the camp, “but the area is unlivable. There’s no water or any place that can shelter us. It’s as if an earthquake had destroyed the camp.”
It appears that Israeli forces had deliberately sought to destroy UNRWA centers and other facilities offering services. Infrastructure was also completely destroyed to prevent people from resuming their lives any time soon.
Confronted with the devastation, the residents urged their loved ones to avoid returning to Jabalia and instead head to other areas.
Another resident, Duaa Munir, told Asharq Al-Awsat that she urged her relatives to head to southern Gaza because there is nothing to return to in Jabalia. “There isn’t even any space to set up camps” because of the rubble, she said.
Over a million people are internally displaced in Gaza with the majority seeking refuge in camps along the coast and in central and southern parts of the enclave.
The United Nations has said that Gaza’s reconstruction could take more than 350 years if it remains under an Israeli blockade. Using satellite data, the United Nations estimated last month that 69% of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including more than 245,000 homes. With over 100 trucks working full time, it would take more than 15 years just to clear the rubble away.
