Gaza Families Return to Ruins After Cease-Fire

After a long evacuation, families returning to Rafah are met with the harsh reality of destruction, as their homes lie in ruins, forcing them to confront their shattered lives.

As the cease-fire in Gaza went into effect, many families, including the Dahliz family, ventured back to their neighborhoods seeking a semblance of normalcy. For Islam Dahliz, his father Abed, and his brother, the return was not to a restored home, but rather to a scene of utter devastation. Israeli forces had previously ordered them to leave Rafah in May, and as they approached their old neighborhood, they were greeted not by familiar sights but by an expanse of rubble.

While walking through the debris, Mr. Dahliz recognized remnants of the local wedding hall, a landmark that guided them as they sought out their home. However, the emotional blow hit hard when they realized their house—a structure that had once stood proudly and witnessed their family's history—was now unrecognizable.

“It took us a few minutes to accept that this pile of rubble was our home,” said Mr. Dahliz, reflecting on the shock of witnessing the destruction of his family's legacy. His father, now 74, was overwhelmed, his voice shaking as he shared, “I was shocked when I saw my entire life — everything I worked for — flattened to the ground.”

The family had hoped for a different kind of return. Rather than a moment of relief after months of displacement—moving from tent to tent, adapting to new challenges—they now faced an insurmountable loss. For Abed Dahliz, a farmer who dedicated his life to building the house, the reality of its destruction was heart-wrenching, making the return one marked by grief rather than the joy they had envisioned.

In this fragile moment, as communities in Gaza begin to navigate the aftermath of conflict, the Dahliz family finds themselves at a painful crossroads, uncertain of how to rebuild lives that have been irrevocably changed.