Return that Defies “Nakba”: Residents of Northern Gaza between the Silence of the Rubble and the Clamor of Memory

28th January 2025

4 minutes read

Return that Defies "Nakba": Residents of Northern Gaza between the Silence of the Rubble and the Clamor of Memory

The atmosphere was cold, but it began to fade in the face of the warmth of returning to the land, though now reduced to rubble, and to the memories, now filled with pain.

Such was the scene on the coastal road south of the Netzarim junction, which separates the Gaza and North governorates from the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.

There, thousands of Palestinians, forced by Israel to flee their homes in the north, spread out on the ground, waiting for the signal to return, a signal almost swept away by an Israeli hostage.

This was their first return since the early weeks of the war, which lasted 15 months between Israel and Hamas, during which images of killing, destruction, and displacement were painted.

Videos on news agencies and social media accounts showed huge crowds heading towards Northern Gaza on foot at dawn this Monday, carrying their belongings and children on their heads.

Heavy Burden

These crowds moved across the road as if they were ghosts from the past, some leaning on their memories, others carrying luggage that seemed like remnants of the days of exile, children on shoulders, hoping that their feet would find the land that was once a refuge.

Once their feet touched the land, whose borders had been lost, memories rushed upon them, as if deep wounds were bleeding in silence.

On Monday, Israel began allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, heavily destroyed.

According to the agreement, Tel Aviv allowed Gaza residents to return to the north starting Monday morning, as announced by the Israeli army. The army’s statement clarified that residents could return on foot along the coastal Rachid road, while vehicles could pass through the Salah al-Din internal road after inspection.

This decision, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, was delayed due to accusations between Hamas and Israel, with Israel stating that Hamas had altered the order of hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, mediators resolved this dispute overnight.

Before their return, thousands of people had waited in the streets or on the beach with their mattresses, belongings, and water tanks, waiting for the checkpoint to open in accordance with the ceasefire conditions.

Memories of the 48 Nakba

Ismail Abu Matar, a father of four, waited for three days before crossing with his family. He described to the Associated Press the scenes of joy on the other side, where people were praying and crying in reunion with their relatives.

Abu Matar, whose family was among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its establishment, or the “Nakba,” said: “It is the joy of return. We thought we would never return, like our ancestors.”

“Nadia Qassem, from the Beach Refugee Camp, added to CNN: “We want to return to our homes… even though my house was destroyed… I miss my land and my place.”

The Sunday before last, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement after 471 days of war, triggered by a surprise attack by Hamas on settlements around Gaza.

The ceasefire aims to end the most violent and destructive war ever between Israel and Hamas and to ensure the release of dozens of hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the fighting.

At the start of the war, Israel ordered the large-scale evacuation of the north and closed it shortly after the entry of ground forces. Around one million people had fled south at the time, while hundreds of thousands stayed in the north, where some of the fiercest battles and worst destruction of the war took place.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel would continue to enforce the ceasefire and that anyone violating it or threatening Israeli forces “would bear the full cost.”

He wrote on the “X” platform: “We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7.”

Return Echoing Displacement

Rising tensions regarding the release of hostages, a few days earlier, threatened to disrupt the already fragile ceasefire.

These tensions escalated further on Saturday after US President Donald Trump expressed his desire for both Jordan and Egypt—neighbors of Gaza—to house hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either temporarily or “long-term.”

Egypt and Jordan condemned Trump‘s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza, stating that such a move would displace Palestinians from their homeland.