Thousands return to Khan Younis ruins after weeklong Israeli incursion

Thousands of Palestinians returned to their homes in the ruins of Gaza’s main southern city Khan Younis on Tuesday, after Israeli forces ended a weeklong incursion there which they said aimed to prevent resistance group Hamas from regrouping.

Palestinian health officials reported that rescue workers had so far recovered 42 bodies of Palestinians killed during the Israeli incursion into eastern Khan Younis. Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service added that searches are ongoing, with 200 people still reported missing.

The Israeli military stated that its forces killed more than 150 Palestinian gunmen during the raid, destroyed militant tunnels, and seized weapons.

After the Israeli forces withdrew, people began returning to their homes on foot and with donkey carts carrying their belongings. Many discovered their houses damaged or destroyed.

Witnesses reported that army forces had bulldozed the main cemetery in Bani Suhaila, a town on the eastern outskirts of Khan Younis that was the main focus of the raid, as well as nearby houses and roads.

“I am coming back and I have faith in God. I don’t know whether we will live or die, but it is all for the sake of the homeland,” said Etimad Al-Masri, who walked at least five kilometers back to her home.

“Despite the suffering, we are patient and God willing we will have victory.”

Many residents expressed frustration over repeated displacements.

“We hope there will be a ceasefire and calm. We hope that they act on a ceasefire so that we can live in security and safety,” said Walid Abu Nsaira, carrying some of his belongings as he returned home.

Ten months into the war, Israeli forces have largely completed their assault on nearly the entire Gaza Strip, and have been launching new attacks on areas where they previously claimed to have eliminated Hamas. Thousands have been ordered to evacuate their homes, many of whom had been displaced multiple times before.

Efforts to negotiate a cease-fire, ongoing for months, have faltered once again. On Monday, Israel and Hamas traded blame over the lack of progress.

Hamas seeks a cease-fire agreement to end the war in Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the conflict will only end once Hamas is defeated. Disagreements remain over the implementation of a potential deal.

The war began with an assault on southern Israel by Hamas-led fighters, who killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and captured around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 39,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians but report that more than half of the dead are women or children. Israel, which has lost around 330 soldiers in Gaza, claims that a third of the Palestinian fatalities are fighters.