Displaced Palestinians are waiting for Israel to allow them to return to their homes

On Saturday morning, Mohammed Emad Al-Din was one of thousands of people waiting to return home to northern Gaza.

“I know my house can be destroyed, but I will build a tent on the remains of it. I just want to go back,” he told the BBC by phone.

“I need to get my job back. I’m a hairdresser in Gaza and I’m trying to figure out how to repair the damage in my salon and get my job back. I owe so much to people and I can. I can’t afford the simplest things for my children,” she said.

“All I want is for this conflict between Hamas and Israel to end and for us to be allowed to return to our homes in the north. We haven’t seen our loved ones for more than 15 months.”

The Netzarim Corridor is a seven-kilometer (4.3 mi) strip of land under Israeli control that cuts off northern Gaza from the rest of the territory.

Lubna Nassar arrived in the afternoon in a donkey cart with her two daughters and son, hoping to return home and reunite with her husband, Sultan, whom she had not seen for 11 months.

“I will stay here, as close as possible to the Israeli checkpoint. My daughters have been waiting for the moment to meet their father for months. I want to be among the first to return to Gaza,” he said.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators are making progress in efforts to allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the north.

But Israeli tanks are still blocking the coastal road that people need to travel north.

The Israelis asked intermediaries for proof of life from Hamas for Mrs. Yehud, and apparently Hamas gave it to the Egyptians.

Four Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 were released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, many Gazans anxiously watch for any progress that might allow them to return.

For many, the hope of a return outweighs the reality of what awaits them – the ruins and destruction.

However, the desire to rebuild their lives, rebuild their homes and reunite with their families keeps their spirits alive.