"Though he left the city just a few weeks ago, he could no longer recognise its streets. The buildings he had grown up in between had collapsed, their contents carpeting the roads in a mixture of torn furniture and broken concrete. Al-Kurdi could only recognise the Netzarim checkpoint marking his entry into north Gaza by the bodies lying at its feet those who had tried to return home too early, their faces obscured by dust after being cut down by Israeli fire."
"For the first time since a previous ceasefire had collapsed in mid-March, fighting had stopped in Gaza. Hamas and Israel had agreed to stop fighting to prepare for the release of 48 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in an agreement that is meant to lead to a complete end to the two-year war. Like most people of north Gaza, al-Kurdi was filled with anxiety as he walked north."
Abdel Fattah al-Kurdi returned to Gaza City during a ceasefire and found the city unrecognizable. Buildings had collapsed and rubble and torn furniture carpeted the streets. He recognised the Netzarim checkpoint only by bodies of people killed attempting early returns. Thousands used the ceasefire to travel north, clogging highways on foot while carrying belongings. Hamas and Israel paused fighting to prepare for the release of 48 Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, an agreement aimed at ending the two-year war. Intense prior bombing of Gaza City left returning residents anxious and fearful.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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