Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to a devastated Gaza City on Saturday, a day after a ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hamas. Entire neighborhoods lay in ruins, with residents walking through rubble to find their homes destroyed.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said more than 500,000 people have returned to the city since the truce began. “I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust,” said resident Raja Salmi after finding her house in Al-Rimal reduced to debris.
Hamas official Hossam Badran warned that the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan would face “many complexities and difficulties.” The group also rejected calls to disarm ahead of Monday’s planned peace deal talks in Egypt.
Under the Trump plan, Israeli troops are expected to gradually withdraw from Gaza’s cities, to be replaced by a multinational force coordinated by the US.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, over half of them women and children.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said more than 500,000 people have returned to the city since the truce began. “I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust,” said resident Raja Salmi after finding her house in Al-Rimal reduced to debris.
Hamas official Hossam Badran warned that the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan would face “many complexities and difficulties.” The group also rejected calls to disarm ahead of Monday’s planned peace deal talks in Egypt.
Under the Trump plan, Israeli troops are expected to gradually withdraw from Gaza’s cities, to be replaced by a multinational force coordinated by the US.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, over half of them women and children.
