For Palestinians returning to Gaza, a bittersweet reunion
#Gaza #Palestinian returnees #Rafah #infrastructure destruction #humanitarian aid #ceasefire efforts #displaced persons
📌 Key Takeaways
- Palestinian families have started returning to northern and central Gaza to assess property damage.
- The return is characterized by bittersweet reunions as many find their homes completely destroyed.
- Severely damaged infrastructure in the region means there is no access to water, power, or sanitation.
- Small-scale economic activities are emerging in rubble-strewn streets despite the lack of formal markets.
📖 Full Retelling
🐦 Character Reactions (Tweets)
Sarah JohnsonWelcome home to Gaza: Where the welcome mat is made of rubble and the housewarming gift is a can of beans. #BittersweetReunion
James CarterGaza's new real estate market: 'As seen on TV'—because your home is now a pile of bricks on a reality show. #PropertyPrices
Emily DavisReturning to Gaza: Where the 'welcome home' sign is written in the dust of your former living room. #HomeSweetHome
Michael BrownGaza's economy: Now featuring 'Rubble & Roll'—the hottest new startup where every day is Black Friday. #ShopLocal
💬 Character Dialogue
🏷️ Themes
Humanitarian Crisis, Post-War Recovery, Migration
📚 Related People & Topics
Rafah
Palestinian city in southern Gaza Strip
Rafah (Arabic: رفح Rafaḥ [rafaħ]) was a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, that served as the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It was located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889.
📄 Original Source Content
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry As Claude disrupts stock market, Anthropic researcher warns ’world is in peril’ Gold, silver prices rise amid U.S.-Iran tensions, blowout January payrolls data Dow halts three-day win streak as blowout jobs data curbs rate cut bets Citi pushes back Fed rate cuts to May after blowout January jobs report (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) For Palestinians returning to Gaza, a bittersweet reunion World Published 02/08/2026, 12:24 PM Updated 02/08/2026, 12:30 PM For Palestinians returning to Gaza, a bittersweet reunion 0 (Corrects February 6 story to show that Israeli forces depopulated and demolished Rafah during the war, not after the ceasefire, in paragraph nine) By Ramadan Abed and Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA/CAIRO, Feb 6 - Eatedal Rayyan waited for this moment for nearly two years: a reunion with her husband in Gaza, where she says yearning for family and homeland has persisted despite widespread destruction from the enclave’s two-year war. Rayyan, 29, left Gaza with her mother and three children after suffering a leg injury that doctors warned could need amputation if left untreated. She was one of tens of thousands who fled to Egypt in the early months of the conflict. After months of treatment in Egypt, Rayyan was eventually able to walk again. And on Thursday, she, her mother and her children were among a small number of Palestinians allowed to return to Gaza after Israel reopened the Rafah border crossing, largely shut since the start of the fighting in October 2023. "I long to return to my homeland, despite everything that happened, the bombardment, and despite the fact that I will be returning to live in a tent," Rayyan, who fled in March 2024, told Reuters from Egypt before crossing back in on Thursday. Reuters followed her journey from the Egyptian town of Al-Arish, where thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge. Her children - Hanan, 8, Ezz, 5, and Mohammad, 4 - grinned from ear to ear as they packed...