Southern Gaza Palestinians Return as Troops Withdraw: ‘Nothing Left’

Maha Thaer, a mother of four, described the overwhelming stench of destruction as she returned to Khan Yunis in southern Gaza after Israeli troops withdrew. She lamented the city’s transformation into rubble, unable to contain her tears as she walked through the desolate streets.

Witnessing the devastation firsthand, Thaer recounted the sight of people retrieving bodies amidst bulldozed streets. Following the Israeli army’s withdrawal announcement, residents of Khan Yunis slowly reemerged, confronting the aftermath of relentless bombardment and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

Before October 7, Khan Yunis was home to nearly 400,000 people. Now, much of the area lies in ruins, forcing inhabitants to flee the onslaught of Israeli ground incursions and airstrikes. Scenes of displacement unfolded as individuals rode carts, bikes, and trucks northward, passing the charred remains of Al-Salam hospital and countless razed structures.

Thaer, hailing from the upscale Hamad City district, expressed profound shock and sadness at the devastation. Despite her partially destroyed home, she resolved to return, preferring it to makeshift tents. However, her neighbors faced a harsher reality, grappling with destroyed homes and uncertain futures.

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Throughout Gaza, residents clung to remnants of normalcy, carrying mattresses in hopes of finding shelter amid the widespread destruction. Images captured the profound impact of war, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and not a single structure untouched.

The Israeli army’s withdrawal from Khan Yunis signaled a pause in operations, with officials claiming thousands of Hamas fighters had been neutralized. However, the toll of the conflict remained staggering, with civilian casualties mounting on both sides.

The conflict erupted on October 7, sparked by a Hamas attack resulting in significant civilian deaths. Israel’s retaliatory strikes, as reported by Palestinian authorities, claimed tens of thousands of lives, predominantly women and children, underscoring the human cost of the ongoing violence.