Even Amid Ruins, Palestinians Celebrate Victory, Saying 'Even the Rubble is Our Homeland'

Even Amid Ruins, Palestinians Celebrate Victory, Saying 'Even the Rubble is Our Homeland'

Thousands of Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza. Despite their homes being reduced to rubble, their spirits remain unshaken. On Monday (January 27), many Palestinians began their journey back to their homes amidst the destruction in northern Gaza.

"By returning, we are victorious," said Rania Miqdad as she headed back to Gaza City with her family. She made this comment to the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

Ismail Abu Mattar, who was returning to the remains of his home with his wife and four children, said, "A tent here is better than a tent there," referring to the unhealthy displacement camps in southern Gaza.

"We thought we would never return, just like our ancestors couldn’t," said Abu Mattar. He explained that his grandparents were among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians forced to flee their homes during the violence surrounding the formation of Israel in 1948.

An elderly Palestinian woman, who was being pushed in a wheelchair, sang a traditional song from 1948. "Stand by each other, people of Palestine. Palestine is gone, but it has not bid you a final farewell," she sang with a smile.

Ibrahim Hammad, along with his wife and five children, returned to their neighborhood in Gaza City. They walked for five hours to get there. Their home had been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in December 2023.

"We had to return, even to the rubble," said Ibrahim. "We don’t have a house, but our family is here. We will help each other."

A Palestinian youth in Gaza showed the 'V' sign for victory, as hundreds of thousands of people return to their destroyed homes.