JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Following Hamas’s organized celebrations and encouragement to Gazans to go back to the northern Gaza Strip, many of those who made it there were forced to return southward after discovering their former houses in ruins, according to a Jerusalem Post report.
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Various viral videos, tweets, and posts on social media portray Gazan citizens who were eager to go north to where their homes were returning southward, disillusioned after seeing the immense destruction left by the war.
Many have begun complaining about a lack of running water that forces them to line up for hours to fill plastic containers for drinking or cleaning. With most homes now heaps of rubble as far as the eye can see, returnees have scoured whatever useful items remain from their property to erect makeshift tents.
At night, residential districts laid to waste by Israeli airstrikes and shelling during the fighting with Hamas sink into darkness for lack of electricity or fuel to operate standby generators.
“There is nothing, no life, no water, no food, no drink, nothing for living. Life is very, very hard. There is no Jabalia camp,” Hisham El-Err said on Wednesday, standing by the ruins of his multi-story house in the biggest and mostly densely populated of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps.
His extended family is now huddling in tents, which offer scant protection from Gaza’s mid-winter chill.
A Gazan citizen interviewed on the Qatari Al-Araby channel after coming back from Beit Hanun told the interviewer: “I couldn’t find anything… The house was located more toward the Jews, but I was scared to look more closely due to there being unexploded bombs or rockets. There’s no life, no nothing. Even if I bring my tent there – there’s no life there.”
“I’m going back to Al-Mawasi in Khan Yunis, in the desert. It’s easier to find level ground there, you can sit there, there’s water… People are shouting and crying in their houses. This is indescribable… I’m not going back. I lost 20 years of my life. My house, my home, my farm… nothing left. There’s a pit instead of my house.”
Another Gazan woman who presented herself as a worker in the education sector was filmed saying: “May Allah have vengeance on the occupation. This war was uncalled for. They did not prepare us for it. Our homes are gone and our children are gone. Where are we going back? To the rubble? We didn’t benefit in anything… I hope someone takes us out of here. Two entire generations were destroyed… We were humiliated. I had a new villa worth $250,000; it was destroyed.
“I call on our President Mahmoud Abbas to save us, and I thank Turkiye for standing with us. I wish they would see this video and embrace us and take me and my girls. This is the suffering of after the war – if this war is even over.”
Dr. Abdallah Mohammed described the scenes of destruction on X:
“Northern Gaza. We searched for something resembling the homeland we once knew, but what we found was a dead city buried under rubble. You wander the streets and find nothing but silent ruins, no water, no food. You look for your home that hosted your childhood, but you will find nothing but a deep hole, broken children’s toys, torn school notebooks and small shoes covered in dust, as if their owners had left in a hurry and never returned.
“There is no sound here except the moaning of the wind, as it passes through the ruins of houses that were once teeming with life.
The smell of destruction is suffocating, and the earth is like a mass grave of unfulfilled memories and dreams.”
During a live broadcast from Falasteen TV channel, an anchor noticed large groups of Gazans going back south after visiting the north and inquired the reason for their return. The citizens answered: “It’s a complete destruction. Buildings have collapsed and the streets are filled with debris.”
“We want a solution,” said another one. “Everything is just mounds of sand. We want someone to find us a solution for this. We want to live and sleep and find refuge… no water and no food.”
The anchor kept pressing, asking if they were sure they made the right decision by going back south, when a donkey-drawn carriage carrying a family passed by, with one of them shouting: “Miss, there is no life. Only death in Gaza. We’re going back to the [Rafah] crossing. Open the crossings and let us pass!”
One video published on Al-Arabiya showed an old Gazan man standing on top of rubble in the northern Gaza Strip and cursing at leaders of Hamas and the IRGC: “Where is our house, Qassem Soleimani? Where is our house, [Khalil] al-Hayya, [Mahmoud] Mardawi, and Osama Hamdan? A curse be upon you, you spies, you mercenaries!”
Another blogger filmed a video in the southern part of the Gaza Strip showing debris and rubble, adding: “Did you see the change and reform of the ‘Godly’ movement? … This is what the ‘Godly movement’ did to us. They changed and reformed all of the contours of the country. May Allah curse your honor, Hamas!”
Others wrote similar messages on their social media accounts. One named Ahmed wrote: “I went back to Gaza, and I’ve been sleeping for three nights in the streets. Thanks for the victory!” Another X/Twitter user from Gaza wrote: “The north is literally destroyed. I want someone to convince me what we gained from October 7th!”
Some tied the devastation in the Gaza Strip to the widespread reports of President Donald Trump’s immigration plan for Gazans.
One blogger, apparently a Gazan residing in Egypt, wrote: “The northern Gaza Strip alone needs 150,000 tents, so what about all of Gaza? Nothing arrived in northern Gaza – no fuel, no tents, no bulldozers, no excavators to clear the roads and open them to people. If you want to prevent immigration, then add these things in. If you are truly against immigration, you must not make life difficult for the residents of Gaza. Have you seen how simple it is? Do we need demonstrations in front of the Rafah crossing?”
Finally, one Gazan exploited the live broadcasting on Qatari Al Jazeera, where criticism of Hamas is usually not heard. When asked about his situation following what the interviewer claimed was “the end of the war,” the Gazan man answered: “Our situation is like ****.”
They all deserve the hellscape they’re returning to. Reading articles like this brings me the utmost joy.
Actions have consequences. You mess with the bull, don’t complained when you get gored.
With all the bad news we’re hearing these days, this story warms my heart a little bit.
Thank you.
Interesting how not one quote blames the Israelis…
May G-d bring His signet of complete and unfragmented TRUTH to the Middle East and to the world.
Don’t be fooled they Celebrated when hamas attacked,(some even participated). I don’t feel bad for them a drop they got what was coming to them.
you cant have your cake and eat it too… what do youmean they didnt prepare us for this war? when you were a little kid in school they taught you how to hate and attack israel and jews? i guess they left out the second half of the lesson or maybe they dont teach history over there so for the future keep in mind the concept of cause and effect and that every action causes a reaction….
Return ALL of the hostages home at once,!
No gazans
Reestablish all Jewish with a flourishing sea port!
Gazans elected hamas
They get what they deserve
Egypt and Jordan must take them in.
Now watch …Israel will help them rebuild ,as they did in ’67 , so that they can send back more terrorists to harm us .
tell them next time don’t vote for Hamas or any terror group to run gaza. Even better go to a different arab country and start a new life.
“A Gazan citizen interviewed … after coming back from Beit Hanun told the interviewer: ‘I couldn’t find anything… I was scared to look more closely due to there being unexploded bombs or rockets.'”
Hey gazan, why weren’t you as scared when your fellow hamASSniks were PURPOSELY keeping “unexploded bombs and rockets” IN YOUR VERY BEDROOMS???
“We want a solution,” said another one. “Everything is just mounds of sand. We want someone to find us a solution for this. We want to live and sleep and find refuge… no water and no food.”
Hey mohaMAD, here’s a solution: LEAVE.
It’s not a Jewish concept to dance on the graves of our enemies. These people are suffering and I hope for moshiach so everyone can see the truth about god and the nature of the world.