As a fragile ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, displaced residents are returning to their homes only to find them obliterated. The streets of Gaza City, once bustling with life, are now eerily empty, lined with heaps of concrete that were once apartment buildings. Many structures have completely collapsed, leaving families to confront the harsh reality of their losses. Amid the ruins, individuals like Hossam Majed, 31, are salvaging what little remains of their belongings, including essential items like a large water tank. Majed has set up a makeshift shelter to guard his possessions from potential thieves, but the challenges are immense. ‘Even food is more expensive than in the south because it’s scarce. There’s no electricity, no water, no internet,’ he lamented. Umm Rami Lubbad, who fled to southern Gaza for safety, returned to find her home reduced to rubble. ‘My heart nearly stopped when I saw the house reduced to rubble,’ she said. Now, she and her children are effectively homeless, sleeping in the streets or relying on neighbors for shelter during artillery shelling. Ahmad al-Abbasi, who fled south during the bombings, returned to find his five-storey building completely destroyed. ‘We came back north hoping to find our homes and rebuild our lives. As you can see… Gaza has turned into a ghost town,’ he said. Mustafa Mahram, another resident, found his three-storey house reduced to ashes. ‘Everything’s gone, turned to ashes… There’s no way to live here,’ he lamented. The residents are now struggling to rebuild their lives with limited resources, hoping for aid and the eventual delivery of tents to provide some semblance of shelter.