Palestinians returned to the devastation of Khan Younis in Gaza

Palestinians returns to what remains of their homes (Picture Courtesy: Getty Images)

Mavhungunekuvule Mungomeni

(The Post News) – Palestinians are now going back to Khan Younis in Gaza. Israel’s military officially stated on April 7th that they would be withdrawing troops from southern Gaza, with only one brigade remaining in the region. As soon as word reached the Palestinians that Israel’s mission in Khan Younis was finished, they immediately started relocating from their overcrowded shelters to their city in the south.

According to the report by Sebastian Usher, the withdrawal is seen as a tactical move rather than an indication that the war is nearing its conclusion. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioned that Israel has scheduled a military operation in the southern city of Rafah. This is where many of the people who have been seeking shelter in Khan Younis have returned. However, he did not provide any specific information regarding this operation.

In the meantime, many Palestinians are deeply saddened by the state of their city. Returning to Khan Younis in Gaza, they find the landscape to be surreal. They navigate through the debris-filled streets on bicycles, donkey carts, or on foot, searching for their homes or any remnants that might remain. Gaza’s second-largest city experienced a prolonged attack by the Israeli army in December. The army believed that Hamas leaders and fighters had taken refuge there after being forced out of the northern regions. It was suspected that they had established a new stronghold within the tunnels and hospitals of Khan Younis.

Based on the Sebastian Usher report, Palestinians have voiced their feelings regarding the changes that Israel has made. Residents said that the smell of death is in the air, with bodies still lying beneath the ruins. The scale of the devastation has shocked them. Another resident had a similar sense of horror at what he saw on his return. They see destruction everywhere as if it were an earthquake or a natural catastrophe.

Abou Diab said, “I am going to my house, even though I know that it is destroyed. I am going to remove the rubble to get a shirt out. The destruction is huge. It all needs to be rebuilt. It’s not suitable for human beings to live in, not even for animals.”

Rashad Khamis al-Najjar from the wider Khan Younis region said that the scene of the city looks as if it’s as if an earthquake hit the city. “The houses are not liveable, the mosques are not suitable for worship, and the roads and the infrastructure, even the electricity, have all been destroyed. The houses that haven’t been destroyed are burned or looted by thieves. We are dying slowly. There are no homes to live in, and we live like the dead.”

Mohammed Abu Rizzeq said their biggest request is that Israel withdraw from our land; there’s been enough killing and destruction. We should have a tent on the rubble of our homes rather than be displaced and in exile.