Palestinians struggle to restart their lives in the ruins of Gaza as truce nears end

Nearly 6,00,000 Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza under the now month-old ceasefire. After initial relief and joy at being back at their homes — even if damaged or destroyed — they now face the reality of living in the wreckage for the foreseeable future.

When night falls over northern Gaza, much of the cityscape of collapsed buildings and piled wreckage turns pitch black. Living inside the ruins of their home, Rawia Tambora’s young sons get afraid of the dark, so she turns on a flashlight and her phone’s light to comfort them, for as long as the batteries last.

Displaced for most of the 16-month-long war, Ms. Tambora is back in her house. But it is still a frustrating shell of a life, she says. There is no running water, electricity, heat or services, and no tools to clear the rubble around them.

Nearly 6,00,000 Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza under the now month-old ceasefire, according to the United Nations. After initial relief and joy at being back at their homes — even if damaged or destroyed — they now face the reality of living in the wreckage for the foreseeable future.

“Some people wish the war had never stopped, feeling it would have been better to be killed,” Ms. Tambora said. “I do not know what we will do long-term. My brain stopped planning for the future.”

The six-week ceasefire is due to end on Saturday, and it’s uncertain what will happen next. There are efforts to extend the calm as the next phase is negotiated. If fighting erupts again, those who returned to the north could find themselves once again in the middle of it.

A report last week by the World Bank, UN, and European Union estimated it will cost some $53 billion to rebuild Gaza after entire neighbourhoods were decimated by Israel’s offensives against Hamas. At the moment, there is almost no capacity or funding to start significant rebuilding.

A priority is making Gaza immediately livable. Earlier this month, Hamas threatened to hold up hostage releases unless more tents and temporary shelters were allowed into Gaza. It then reversed and accelerated hostage releases after Israel agreed to let in mobile homes and construction equipment.