Thousands of Palestinians have resumed their journey towards the north of the Gaza Strip, in a slow and arduous return to their homes devastated by the bombing. After two years of massacre and weeks of waiting, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced and came into force today at noon (local time), marking the beginning of a fragile process of truce and partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
As the images released by journalists show, massive columns of displaced people moved along the coast, heading towards Gaza City, the largest urban area of the enclave, largely reduced to a pile of rubble. “Thank God my house is still standing, but the neighborhood is destroyed,” said Ismail Zayda, 40, from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. Around him, remains of gutted buildings, interrupted roads and a landscape that many no longer recognize.
Peace be upon you for your patience, O people of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Dy1FkQMNVt
— Osama Abu Rabee أسامة أبوربيع (@dn_osama_rabee) October 10, 2025
The agreement, ratified by the Israeli government in the early hours of Friday, provides for the release of the twenty Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza within 72 hours, in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners and another 1,700 detained during the conflict. But while the authorities spoke of a truce, yesterday shots and tank hits were still heard in the Strip, a sign of tension that does not easily go away.
The open questions of this fragile peace
US special envoy Steve Witkoff declared that “the first phase of the withdrawal of Israeli troops has been completed” and that the scheduled period for prisoner exchanges and hostage surrenders has begun. Once the agreement is operational, trucks full of humanitarian aid are expected to reach Gaza to distribute food and medicines to the exhausted population.
In Khan Younis, in the south, some Israeli units have abandoned their positions, but sporadic violence continues to be recorded in several areas. In Nusseirat, in the center of the enclave, some residents said they saw soldiers leaving the area while explosions were still heard not far away.
The return to Gaza City has been described by many as a pilgrimage among the ruins. “There is nothing left, but we just want to go back to where our homes were,” Mahdi Saqla, 40, told the Reuters agency. “Even walking through the rubble is a form of hope.”
The war — which lasted two years — left behind over 67,000 Palestinian dead and an entire population displaced. Israel’s international relations are now deeply flawed, while Hamas claims to have received guarantees from the United States and other mediators that the war “is truly over”.
Yet many issues remain open: the official list of Palestinian prisoners to be released has not yet been published, and the political fate of the Gaza Strip after the conflict remains uncertain. Israel continues to control about half the territory, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that “Israeli forces will remain in Gaza to ensure the demilitarization of the territory.”
Meanwhile, the civilian population faces another emergency: the environmental and health one. In addition to the humanitarian disaster, the destruction of water and sewerage infrastructure has compromised resources essential for survival. The humanitarian convoys will face an enormous task: bringing back drinking water, electricity and healthcare to a territory that is now almost unlivable.
Today Gaza tries to breathe between the dust and fear, suspended between the desire for peace and the awareness that any truce, in this wounded land, can break at any moment.
