Return Amidst Ruins: Gazans Face an Uncertain Future

Gaza City, devastated by 15 months of warfare, sees displaced Palestinians returning amidst ruins, searching for family members. As ceasefire talks progress, hostages and prisoners are being exchanged between Hamas and Israel. Despite further negotiations, uncertainty looms over Gaza's reconstruction and Hamas' future role.

Displaced Palestinians returning to their homes in Gaza City this week were met with a city in ruins after 15 months of relentless fighting. Many families sought refuge among the debris, desperately searching for relatives lost in the chaos of their return.

Gaza City, once a bustling urban hub in the northern enclave, now stands as a shell of its former self. Israeli bombardments have left buildings destroyed, and piles of rubble and torn concrete are strewn across the cityscape. "Look at this scene, there is nothing to say," remarked a man named Abu Mohammad as he sought a place to settle. "People will sleep on the ground. There is nothing left," he added.

Aid and resources remain scant, as returnees carried what little they could after months of displacement. A 300,000-strong exodus from southern regions continues, as mediators initiate the next phase of ceasefire talks. In Cairo, high-profile negotiations between Hamas and Egyptian mediators are underway, focusing on hostages and the possibility of Gaza's reconstruction.

(With inputs from agencies.)