Palestinians are finally able to return to their Gaza homes — only to find them reduced to ruins

I mean, we have been relieved by the ceasefire, but at the same time, we are still searching for our martyrs and searching for our graves and can’t find them,

Jundiya told Reuters

When I went into the camp, I teared up, as our camp was not like that, it was the best. When we left all towers, homes were still untouched, and none of the neighbours had been killed,

she lamented

I have been searching and looking for my father’s grave, my brother’s grave, and my brother’s wife’s grave, and I can’t find them,

said Atef Jundiya, at the cemetery in Gaza City

We are cleaning the house, and removing the rubble, so we are able to return home. Those are the quilts, pillows, nothing was left at the house,

said Palestinian woman Walaa El-Err, pointing to her destroyed belongings at her bombed-out home in Nuseirat, a decades-old refugee camp in central Gaza

I heard the area was hit hard and the house could have been gone, but I was driven by both doubt and hope that it could have been saved,

she told Reuters via a chat app

What I found wasn't just a house, it is the box of memories, where I had my children, celebrated their birthday parties, made them food, and taught them their first words and moves,

she said

Everything has been devastated — our homes and our hearts,

Qaoud, 32, said as she sat in front of a collapsed building surrounded by rubble

António Guterresgeneral

At long last, the ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza offer a ray of hope,

António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a statement on Monday as he urged "the release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza."

Everything is destroyed as you can see. Nothing remains,

Asma Qaoud told NBC News' crew on the ground on Monday in what remained of the Jabalia refugee camp

We have been waiting for this ceasefire like people waiting to enter heaven,

Eliwah said

In every street there are dead. In every neighbourhood there are people under the buildings,

said Abdullah Al-Majdalawi, a 24-year-old Civil Defence worker in Gaza City

We got our Romi back, but all families deserve the same outcome, both the living and the dead. Our hearts go out to the other families."

Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, said

We're not just talking about food, healthcare, buildings, roads, infrastructure, we've got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt,

he said

We have lost a lot of members of our family and some are still under the destroyed buildings,

she said

The police have been here the whole time, but they were not wearing their uniforms” to avoid being targeted by Israel

said Mohammed Abed, a father of three who returned to his home in Gaza City more than seven months after fleeing the area

They were among the displaced people in the tents. That’s why there were no thefts,

he said

We thank God that the war has finally been stopped. I hope all the displaced can return to their homes soon,

Abdel Qader said

The first day of the ceasefire felt strange. Some people were celebrating and happy, while others were crying and remembering their loved ones who were killed in this war,

Shalail said

We are very happy and relieved that a ceasefire agreement has finally been reached,

al-Ramlawi said

The feeling of the ceasefire is indescribable,

Hazem said