Adham Bartawi had hoped for the best when he set off for his home in northern Gaza after more than a year, but he was shocked by what he found.
"Half of our house is gone," the 31-year-old told the BBC from the ruins of the place where he lived in the northern town of al-Zahra.
"It looks like it was bulldozed - the living room is gone, the kitchen is gone, most of it is gone. The only thing left are two rooms and a bathroom... If I leave now they could be looted," he said.
Adham is one of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have returned to northern Gaza since Israel allowed displaced residents to begin returning on Monday, writes A2 CNN.
The return is the result of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel that aims to finally end the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
A United Nations official told the BBC there was a "massive effort ahead" to ensure basic services were provided for those returning to the north. (A2 Televizion)
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MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
