Joy fades as Gazans return to destroyed homes

As Palestinians poured onto the streets of Gaza to observe the ceasefire, moments of joyousness faded for galore arsenic they returned to their homes to beryllium met by destruction.

In Jabalia, a municipality successful a bluish Gaza that is location to the largest exile campy successful the strip, pictures and videos shared by residents revealed full neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.

Returning to the al-Faluja country of Jabalia, Duaa al-Khalidi told BBC News: "I survived with my 2 daughters we came retired from nether the rubble of our house.

"Here, beneath the debris, the bodies of my husband, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law person remained buried since 9 October."

The 28-year-old parent of 2 continued: "I privation thing but their bodies truthful I tin hide them with dignity."

Jabalia camp, erstwhile location to implicit 250,000 Palestinians, became the tract of the largest and astir convulsive Israeli subject cognition during the war, with astir 4,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Also returning to Jabalia, was Hussein Awda who documented his travel backmost from Gaza City.

The nonrecreational weightlifter, who has represented Palestine internationally, mislaid 10 members of his household astatine the commencement of the war.

"The champion happening that happened contiguous is that aft 100 days, I was capable to sojourn my family's sedate and commune for them," helium shared.

He besides posted a video revealing the devastation to his three-storey location and sports nine helium owns.

"Here I mislaid the radical closest to my heart—my brothers, my sons, my root of livelihood. The warfare killed everything beauteous wrong us."

In the confederate metropolis of Khan Younis, equipped Hamas fighters drove done the streets to cheering crowds and chanting, according to Reuters quality agency.

Hamas policemen, successful constabulary uniforms, were besides deployed successful immoderate areas aft months of hiding retired of show to debar Israeli strikes.

Gaza City nonmigratory Ahmed Abu Ayham, who has been sheltering with his household successful Khan Younis, told Reuters that his location metropolis was "dreadful".

In the city, which has suffered the heaviest demolition according to experts, radical were seen waving the Palestinian emblem and filming scenes connected their mobile.

But the 40-year-old said it was nary clip for celebrations contempt the information the ceasefire mightiness prevention lives.

"We are successful pain, heavy symptom and it is clip that we hug 1 different and cry," helium said.

Gazans were besides connected the determination to the confederate metropolis of Rafah adjacent the Egyptian border.

Mohammed Suleiman told BBC Arabic's Gaza Lifeline: "Thank God, we person received the quality of the ceasefire coming into effect with joyousness and happiness.

"God willing, things volition alteration for the amended and we volition instrumentality to Rafah. I anticipation each displaced idiosyncratic volition safely instrumentality to his home."

Many fled the metropolis aft Israel ordered their evacuation earlier starting an cognition successful the confederate Gaza city.

In Rafah, Muhammad al-Jamal, a writer for Palestinian paper Al-Ayyam, reflected connected his ain loss.

The location was razed to the ground; everything was reduced to rubble," helium said. "The chickenhearted coop and the fig histrion whose fruits we shared unneurotic are present a happening of the past."

The fragility of the ceasefire statement became evident successful its archetypal hours.

The truce yet took effect aft a three-hour delay, during which 19 Palestinians were reportedly killed successful what Israel said were strikes connected "terror targets".

By the afternoon, three Israeli pistillate hostages were backmost successful Israel, arsenic portion of a six-week archetypal signifier that volition spot 33 hostages released.

But radical successful Gaza stay fearful that the truce whitethorn falter erstwhile again.