Palestinians Return to Gaza’s Rafah Only to Find Their City in Ruins
As the Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect, families return to southern Gaza’s Rafah, only to face the heartbreaking reality of destruction.
Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine – When the long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on Sunday, it brought with it a sense of hope for many Palestinians in Gaza who had endured months of displacement and devastation. However, for the people of Rafah, the city’s destruction has made returning home a painful and heartbreaking experience.
Abd al-Sattari, a 53-year-old farmer, had spent nine months in a displacement camp after Israeli forces invaded southern Gaza, hoping that his two homes in Rafah would remain standing. Tragically, both properties in the Shaboura and Mirage areas were reduced to rubble by the war.
“I thought if one house got hit, at least the other would survive for us to return to,” Abd said. But with both of his homes destroyed, his family’s hopes of returning to normalcy were shattered. On Sunday, even before the ceasefire began, Abd and his son Mohammed made their way to Rafah, only to find nothing but devastation.
The ceasefire, which Palestinians hoped would mark an end to a brutal war that claimed over 46,900 lives and displaced more than 2 million people, has brought a brief respite. But for families like Abd’s, the damage is irreversible.
Before the ceasefire, hundreds of displaced families had begun rushing back to Rafah, packing their belongings into vehicles, carts, and even bicycles. As they passed through the craters that once were roads, some chanted, “We will rebuild. We will live.”
Yet, as Abd surveyed his once-proud homes, he realized that rebuilding would be no easy feat. “The Rafah we knew is gone,” he lamented, his voice thick with sorrow. “The streets where we grew up, the places we worked – they are now unrecognizable.” For Abd, what was meant to be a hopeful return has turned into a cruel confrontation with the loss of his life’s work and his dreams of a home for his family.
The destruction in Rafah is staggering. According to the United Nations, more than 60% of the buildings and 65% of the roads across Gaza have been destroyed since October 7, 2023, the beginning of the war. Rafah has not been spared, with the city left largely uninhabitable. Over 42 million tons of debris have been generated, much of it containing human remains, unexploded ordnance, and hazardous materials.
Municipal workers are now racing to clear roads, restore essential services like water, and remove dangerous remnants of the war. However, officials caution against rushing back to the city. “Without basic services, life cannot resume,” said one municipal worker. Rafah’s mayor, Mohammed al-Sufi, confirmed the extent of the devastation, noting that key areas like the Philadelphi Corridor remain inaccessible, and large parts of the city are off-limits.
Despite the grim reality, some families are determined to stay. Nasim Abu Alwan, who returned with his nine children, vowed to rebuild. “We’re done with tents. We’ll haul water from afar if we have to. Rafah is home, and we’ll stay, no matter what,” he said.
Others, like Amjad Abdullah, have opted to stay in nearby Khan Younis, unable to imagine life amid the rubble. “Rafah is a graveyard of buildings,” he said, unable to reach his old neighborhood even on foot.
The road to recovery will be long, but for Rafah’s residents, the will to rebuild remains strong. “We’ve suffered too much in exile,” one father said. “Rafah is home, and we will rebuild – even if it takes a lifetime.”
This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.