GAZA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Four days after a ceasefire brought an end to a 15-month conflict between Hamas and Israel, Palestinians in Gaza returned to their homes, hoping for signs of normalcy.
However, their relief quickly gave way to despair as they faced the devastating reality of what remained.
Samira Mahmoud, a Palestinian woman, was among the crowds who rushed to their houses in the eastern parts of the al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City.
"As I walked toward my house, my heart pounded, and I prayed to Allah to find at least some part of it intact," the 32-year-old mother of three told Xinhua.
But instead of solace, she was met with destruction. "I dreamed of returning home, but I found nothing but rubble. My children ask me where the house, toys, and garden are, but nothing is left," Samira lamented.
The scale of devastation has rendered neighborhoods unrecognizable. "Our city used to be vibrant, full of people, vehicles, lights, and life. Now even the rubble reeks of death, fear, and uncertainty," Omar Sarsour, a resident of the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in western Gaza, told Xinhua.
In central Gaza's Bureij camp, the scene is equally grim. After many days of removing debris from his house, Ayman Obeid, a Palestinian man finally found an old photo of his entire family.
"I thought I would never see it again. This photo captures our life before the war, filled with smiles that are now lost," the 42-year-old man told Xinhua.
Nearby, his mother sat in a makeshift tent erected near the ruins of their home. "We lived a simple but dignified life," she said. "Now, we're just looking for shelter from the cold."
According to UN estimates, over 50 million tonnes of rubble litter the Gaza Strip, which could take over two decades to clear and cost approximately 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.
"About 88 percent of Gaza has been damaged, as 161,600 housing units were completely destroyed. The initial financial losses are estimated at over 38 billion U.S. dollars," Ismail Thawabta, the head of the Hamas-run government media office, told Xinhua.
A recent UN report emphasized that reconstruction efforts require billions of dollars and sustained international commitment.
The report also highlighted the potential hurdles posed by Israeli restrictions on the entry of construction materials into Gaza.
Over the 15-month Israel-Hamas conflict, the Israeli army killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of the Gaza population was forced to be displaced.
Civil Defense teams work tirelessly to uncover those trapped beneath the rubble. Since the ceasefire began, they have retrieved more than 100 bodies.
"We cannot speak of returning to normal life while bodies remain buried under the debris. Just this Tuesday, we recovered 80 bodies. Entire families are still unaccounted for," Sami Al-Haddad, a volunteer in the rescue efforts, told Xinhua.
While over 1,000 trucks of humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire, residents argue that the support is insufficient.
Mohammed Salah, a resident of Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, questioned the adequacy of the assistance.
"The aid is coming, but we don't see it. We get a little food, but what about our homes? Who will rebuild them? Our lives have been destroyed," he said.■