As the long-awaited ceasefire took effect on Friday morning, thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to Gaza City, walking through the ruins of what was once their home. Families moved cautiously along the battered Netzarim Corridor, their faces marked by exhaustion and disbelief. After two years of genocidal war, the silence that followed the night’s final explosions felt both fragile and unfamiliar.

While Israeli forces have reportedly withdrawn from several areas, the sound of drones still fills the air, casting a shadow over the supposed calm. Many returning families found only rubble where their homes once stood, streets buried under debris, buildings hollowed by fire, and the remains of lives uprooted by endless bombardment. Civil defence teams are working tirelessly to clear the ruins and locate survivors, but the magnitude of destruction makes even hope a heavy burden to carry.

Despite the promise of a full withdrawal and humanitarian access, the people of Gaza remain wary. Years of shattered truces have left deep scars of mistrust. Yet, amid the devastation, some cling to the faint possibility that this ceasefire could endure, that this time, the sky above Gaza might finally hold something other than the echo of war.