DragonSnax
Well-known member
Palestinians Return Home to Desolation
A week ago, a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, prompting tens of thousands of Palestinians to trickle back into their devastated homes. The returnees were met with an eerie silence, as the once-thriving communities had been reduced to rubble and ruins.
The scale of destruction was overwhelming, leaving families to grapple with the trauma of seeing their homes and neighborhoods no longer recognizable. Suhair al-Absi, a 50-year-old mother of seven, described her home in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan district as "completely destroyed." The once-standing pillars now lay shattered on the ground, a stark reminder of the devastation that had unfolded.
For Absi and many others, the return to their homes was a heart-wrenching experience. She recounted how she and her family fled their home at the last minute, watching in horror as tanks rolled through Gaza City, supposedly aimed at crushing any vestiges of Hamas. The trauma of that event still lingered, as Absi struggled to come to terms with the loss of her childhood home.
Others, like Susan al-Shayah, returned to find their homes had vanished into a sea of rubble. She described the shock and despair she felt, unable to pinpoint the exact location of her house among the destruction. For Shayah's family, finding shelter became an immediate priority, as they set up camp in a nearby school with limited water supply.
The humanitarian situation remains dire, with the UN reporting that shipments of tents had gone missing due to looting. Hany Abed-Rabou, a 60-year-old contractor, was one of many who lost loved ones during the conflict – his grandson and son were both killed in a shelter. The grief was compounded by the loss of four family homes, which now lay as ruins.
The road to recovery seems uncertain for Gaza's residents, with Abed-Rabou refusing to leave his ancestral home, saying "I was born here, grew up here and I will die here."
A week ago, a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, prompting tens of thousands of Palestinians to trickle back into their devastated homes. The returnees were met with an eerie silence, as the once-thriving communities had been reduced to rubble and ruins.
The scale of destruction was overwhelming, leaving families to grapple with the trauma of seeing their homes and neighborhoods no longer recognizable. Suhair al-Absi, a 50-year-old mother of seven, described her home in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan district as "completely destroyed." The once-standing pillars now lay shattered on the ground, a stark reminder of the devastation that had unfolded.
For Absi and many others, the return to their homes was a heart-wrenching experience. She recounted how she and her family fled their home at the last minute, watching in horror as tanks rolled through Gaza City, supposedly aimed at crushing any vestiges of Hamas. The trauma of that event still lingered, as Absi struggled to come to terms with the loss of her childhood home.
Others, like Susan al-Shayah, returned to find their homes had vanished into a sea of rubble. She described the shock and despair she felt, unable to pinpoint the exact location of her house among the destruction. For Shayah's family, finding shelter became an immediate priority, as they set up camp in a nearby school with limited water supply.
The humanitarian situation remains dire, with the UN reporting that shipments of tents had gone missing due to looting. Hany Abed-Rabou, a 60-year-old contractor, was one of many who lost loved ones during the conflict – his grandson and son were both killed in a shelter. The grief was compounded by the loss of four family homes, which now lay as ruins.
The road to recovery seems uncertain for Gaza's residents, with Abed-Rabou refusing to leave his ancestral home, saying "I was born here, grew up here and I will die here."
it's like they're trying to erase the past but instead of peace & love they just got destruction & despair 
u feel for these ppl who lost everything - homes, fam, loved ones it's heartbreaking to see the trauma still lingering 4 decades on 
and can we talk about how messed up looting is? like, tents were meant for refugees not thieves 
hope some help comes soon 2 rebuild & bring back some semblance of normal life 
This is just heartbreaking. I can only imagine how tough it must be to return to a place that's been devastated like that. The scale of destruction is just mind-boggling. Families are left with nothing but rubble and ruins, and the trauma of losing loved ones is still fresh. It's so sad that even after a ceasefire, the humanitarian situation remains dire.
This is so weird... all these people are returning home only to find it's been reduced to rubble... what's the real reason for this ceasefire? Is it just a ploy to get them back in there so they can't organize themselves or something? 
I mean, think about it, their homes were destroyed on purpose, people got killed... it's like someone wanted to create chaos and then stepped back, waiting for the dust to settle. And what about all these 'missing' shipments of tents? That sounds fishy to me 
it's like, what even is the point of rebuilding if there's no one left to call home?
. i mean, tanks and all, it's just heartbreaking. and the fact that shipments of tents went missing due to looting is just wow...like, what's the point of recovery if u got robbed of the essentials? 
also sad to hear abed-rabou's story...losin a family member is bad enough, but losin ur home too? that's just cruel 
it's heartbreaking to see people struggling to find shelter and basic necessities like water. the humanitarian situation is dire and we need to keep an eye on it. 
. meanwhile, the world just keeps on moving and the questions keep on unanswered 
. And what really gets me is that even basic necessities like tents are being looted, leaving people without access to shelter or basic human needs 
. Hany Abed-Rabou's words, though emotional, highlight the deep connection many Gaza residents have with their ancestral homes – it's not just about recovery, but about preserving a sense of identity and community 
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. its like they r livin in a war zone, n nothin seems 2 work 4 them 
u can imagine how traumatic that must be 4 them & their families. the scale of destruction is just mind-boggling, i mean tanks rolling thru neighborhoods, ppl losing homes & loved ones... 
can someone pls explain why shipments of tents went missing? seems like a basic necessity 4 these ppl struggling 2 find shelter 
at least Abed-Rabou's determination 2 stay in his home is a testament 2 how much it means 2 him & his family 
. It's gonna take a long time to rebuild, but these people need our support and understanding right now 
. i mean dont get me wrong, its sad 4 those who lost their homes but if u cant handle the heat, stay outta gaza 
& hany abed-rabou just... i feel bad for him, but like, cant he see that staying there might not b good 4 him or his fam in the long run? im torn between wanting to support ppl who lost everything & being all "but think about the bigger pic" 
it just sounds so cheesy now but back then it was so charming 