Return to Ruins: A Family's Heartbreaking Homecoming in Gaza

As hostilities pause in Gaza, families like the Dahliz are discovering the haunting aftermath of loss and destruction, finding that their homes, once filled with memories, lie in pieces.

 

In a poignant atmosphere of disbelief and sorrow, Islam Dahliz and his family returned to their neighborhood in Rafah, Gaza, after a cease-fire brought a halt to the fighting. The moment they set foot on the familiar streets, however, their expectations were shattered. What used to be their home was now a mere pile of rubble, unrecognizable and desolate.

Mr. Dahliz, accompanied by his father and brother, scoured through the remains, searching for the remnants of their family life. Disoriented by the destruction, they initially failed to recognize their surroundings. Yet, after spotting what once was a local wedding hall, reality struck – their family home had stood somewhere nearby.

“It took us a few minutes to accept that this pile of rubble was our home,” remarked Islam, a 34-year-old who works for local aid organizations. The moment was crushing, silence engulfing the family as they processed the devastation around them.

The family patriarch, Abed Dahliz, 74, was left physically and emotionally drained. “I was shocked when I saw my entire life — everything I worked for — flattened to the ground,” he confessed, his voice quivering with the weight of loss. The land he had nurtured and the house he had built with devotion over fifty years now lay in ruins.

This return was not the joyful homecoming they had envisioned. After enduring the hardship of displacement and living in tents, they had imagined stepping back into their restored life. Instead, they faced a stark new reality, one of arduous rebuilding and lingering grief. The echoes of a once-vibrant home now resonate with reminder of a tragedy that forever alters their lives.