The lull in the fighting provided an opportunity for thousands of families in Gaza to see up close over the weekend the extent of the destruction and devastation left by the shelling. Many residents were shocked by the sights they were exposed to. Those who thought they would have somewhere to return to found that optimism was premature. Entire neighborhoods were razed to the ground, nothing remains of what until a month and a half ago was their home.
Palestinian reports: This is what northern Gaza looks like on first day of the truce | Arab networks
Attempts by residents to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip were mostly blocked by the military. Those of them who sheltered in schools and buildings to which they fled got an unmediated glimpse of the outcome of the war. They found it difficult to describe the scenes unfolding before their eyes and perhaps words were not needed, the pictures told it all. Despite the devastation, it was difficult to find people willing to speak out against Hamas.
Destruction in the Gaza Strip, photo: AFP
The fear of the organization still exists, and even those who think Hamas destroyed Gaza hardly dared to speak out against it in front of the cameras. It is still too early to assess where the public atmosphere in the Gaza Strip is blowing, but it is already evident that even those who experienced the blow of the terrorist organization have refrained from assigning responsibility to it. Hamas, for its part, used the images of the destruction "as evidence of the crimes committed by Israel against the people of Gaza."
As soon as the truce went into effect on Friday morning, Palestinians began posting videos on social media documenting the extent of the damage. "It looks worse than an earthquake," said a Beit Hanoun resident. "There's no house and no building that hasn't been damaged, we've lost everything."
"This is the fourth time my house has been demolished, 60 years have gone, every time they demolish we rebuild, the main thing is not to leave the homeland," said another resident in half despair. Infrastructure, luxury towers, commercial buildings, shopping centers and a luxury shopping mall in Gaza were damaged. Gaza says thousands are still buried under the rubble. The displaced people searched for personal items that could still be saved, such as a father who pulled a blanket out of the rubble, and children who found the
Bihas satchel.
Some were shocked to discover that the cultural symbol in the center of Gaza City had also been hit in the strikes. The center, named after Rashad al-Shawa, the legendary mayor of Gaza, was home to many conferences and social events. Residents were also amazed at the destruction of Halwiyat Abu Saud, one of Gaza's well-known knafeh businesses known for manufacturing and selling knafeh.
Many took advantage of the lull to stock up on food. Near the gas stations, long lines of cars and young people lined up with bottles and tankers to fill gas and fuel. The market in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip was crowded on Saturday, and people came to buy groceries. Several hundred trucks carrying diesel fuel and cooking gas tankers entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.
While in Gaza they licked their wounds, Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria celebrated the release of the terrorists. Hundreds of people took to the streets in Ramallah and Nablus, waving Hamas flags and shouting slogans of support for Yahya Sinwar and the organization's military wing. The Palestinian Authority's security services, meanwhile, let off steam, hoping to prevent the expansion of similar demonstrations as the pause continued.
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