Delay in ceasefire breeds terror and misery for Palestinians returning home in Gaza

Mohammed Mushtaha, 29, eagerly awaited the ceasefire to return to his family home in west Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa after nine months of displacement across various shelters.

However, the dream of going back to normalcy quickly turned into a nightmare. Now residing with his family alongside four other families in their relative’s house in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighbourhood, Mushtaha shared the anxious moments leading up to their attempted return.

“We haven’t slept since yesterday, thinking about our house,” he told Middle East Eye. “My mother packed all our belongings to avoid wasting a moment when we could finally return.”

At 8.40am (6.40am GMT), Mushtaha and two of his brothers hurried toward their neighbourhood, their hearts racing with anticipation and homesickness. But within minutes, their hopes turned into terror as they realised Israeli tanks were still bombing.

“A dreadful sound of Israeli artillery shelling stopped us in our way,” he said. “Passers-by coming from Tal al-Hawa warned us not to proceed. The bombing was still ongoing.”

Half an hour later, when he returned to Shujaiya, Mushtaha received a devastating call from a neighbour. Their four-storey building had been reduced to rubble.

“I hid my tears because all my family members were looking at me, hoping to hear that our house was still standing,” he said. “My mother fainted when I told her the truth.”

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