GAZA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The landscape of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip lies in ruins, a stark reminder of the violence that has engulfed the region. For displaced Palestinians recently allowed to return, the remnants of their homes have shattered fragile hopes for a life reclaimed.

After years spent in southern Gaza, where they endured relentless Israeli bombardments even in areas designated as "safe," these returnees now sought solace in the familiar. Instead, they encountered a harsh reality that rendered their home unrecognizable.

"Even all the words in the Arabic dictionary cannot describe the horror of what we see," Mariam Abu Shahla, a resident of Tal al-Hawa in Gaza City, told Xinhua.

Upon returning, she found her neighborhood, once alive with memories after 25 years, reduced to rubble.

"The rubble swallowed everything. The homes once filled with memories are now piles of stones and silence as if the earth itself had consumed them," she said, her voice cracking with grief.

Uncertain of where to find shelter, Abu Shahla described her return as "hell."

The smell of gunpowder still hung in the air, a testament to the violence that had ravaged the area. Returnees walked through the debris, their faces etched with disbelief and pain, each step heavy with the weight of grief. The silence was punctuated only by crumbling concrete, echoing the stillness of a place that had once thrived.

After an arduous journey through the ruins, some returnees sat among the remnants of their homes, grappling with the profound loss that surrounded them. Among them was Abdul Rahman Abu Sitta, who, returning to Beit Lahia after fleeing a year ago, confronted the painful truth that his neighborhood had vanished entirely.

"I lost everything. There's nothing left of our neighborhood but rubble. Our homes, our memories, everything we lived for has been destroyed," he told Xinhua, his voice filled with sorrow.

"This is not just a war between Israel and Hamas. It is a war on Palestinian existence and our lives, on our future."

Yet, amid the overwhelming destruction, Abu Sitta clung to hope. He began to sift through the debris, searching for traces of the past that seemed to slip further away with each passing moment.

"Israel has always aimed to end our existence either through killing or displacement. But we will remain steadfast in our land. No matter the difficulties, we will not leave," another resident, Sajida Ayesh, told Xinhua, standing amidst the wreckage of Saftawi in northern Gaza.

"We are here, despite everything, proving our existence. We will rebuild what others have destroyed," the 29-year-old mother of three, who has endured multiple displacements, remained resolute.

"In the south, we endured the harshest suffering, fear, and hunger. There was no safety. The Israeli army's promise of protection was a lie," she said. "I won't repeat that mistake. Even if they kill us here, we will die on our land."

As Ayesh reached the shores of Gaza, she paused to gaze at the once-inviting sea, now a somber reflection of her lost dreams. "Sadly, everything has changed. Even the sea, which once reminded us of our dreams, now groans with us," she said.

Abu Shahla, Abu Sitta, and Ayesh are among nearly 300,000 displaced individuals who returned to northern Gaza after the Israeli army permitted their return for the first time in 15 months, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government media.

However, their homecoming has been met with dire challenges. Many have faced severe food and water shortages, while others have been forced to sleep in the streets, exposed to winter storms and heavy rain.

Hosni Muhanna, the public relations officer for Gaza Municipality, spoke to Xinhua about the overwhelming crisis. "The city's infrastructure is nearly completely destroyed. We are doing everything possible to provide basic services like water and electricity," he said.

"We have tried maintaining some water wells and networks, but international support is urgent. The situation is beyond our ability to cope with food shortages, medicine, and shelter," he said. Enditem

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