After receiving news of the Israeli ground troops' withdrawal from Khan Younis on Sunday, Walid Abu Amro journeyed north from the shelter of his tent in southern Gaza to inspect his home. Navigating the neighborhood proved challenging, as many familiar landmarks lay obliterated. Crushed, too, were his hopes of his family's return to their apartment. "There’s nothing there, it’s all gone," lamented Abu Amro, 43. "It’s like a meteor struck it."
Khan Younis stands as the first major city Palestinians have re-entered since the worst of the fighting abated, offering a glimpse into the challenges ahead for the 1.7 million displaced by the conflict. Extensive destruction across northern and central Gaza indicates that those hoping to return soon will find unlivable conditions awaiting them. This also underscores the enormous challenges Israel will face in Gaza post-war. While Israel has expressed no intention of governing the enclave, citing the need to repair shattered public services, rebuild vast areas, and restore order, it has yet to articulate a plan to make the strip habitable again.
Negotiations in Cairo between the warring parties' mediators continued on Tuesday, with the number of Palestinians permitted to return north and the conditions of their return remaining contentious issues. Hamas advocates for the return of all civilians to their homes, while Israel resists a mass return, fearing Hamas militants may blend in with civilians to maintain their influence in the enclave.
Khan Younis, a Hamas stronghold during the conflict, witnessed intense fighting over the past four months. Israel's military withdrew from Khan Younis after claiming to have targeted and subdued Hamas's four battalions there, stating that its forces had completed their mission and needed to regroup and prepare for future operations.
Residents of Khan Younis, displaced to other areas, rushed back to assess their properties and those of friends and relatives unable to make the journey. What they found, as described in interviews, was utter devastation: once lively, close-knit communities reduced to rubble and debris, with flattened buildings, torn roads marked by tank tracks, and few signs of life.
Khan Younis, with a pre-war population of about 400,000, was one of the largest cities in pre-war Gaza, known for its expansive open-air market and historic castle. The city's population nearly doubled as Gazans sought refuge there earlier in the conflict to escape the fighting in Gaza City, though many later fled Khan Younis for Rafah as Israel's military operations pushed southward.
Former naval chief and head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Ami Ayalon, attributed the extensive destruction in Gaza to its high population density. "We call it a battlefield when in actuality, it’s a series of very crowded cities," Ayalon remarked.
Thaer Majayda, 30, a Palestinian taking shelter in the nearby town of Al-Mawasi, noted a stark contrast in Khan Younis's level of destruction between his last visit a month prior and his return on Monday to check on his home and clothing shop, both of which were destroyed. "Khan Younis is not a place to live anymore," he lamented. "I lost my home, my shop, my livelihood, everything. I don’t know what we will do when the war ends."
Staff from the Palestine Red Crescent Society resumed operations at Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis this week, having been forced to evacuate by the Israeli military the previous month. Red Crescent teams discovered destroyed medical equipment, ambulances buried under rubble, and graffiti spray-painted on the walls upon their return.
"Even now, with the Israeli military withdrawal, we still can’t operate the hospital because of the scale of damage," stated Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Red Crescent, which manages the hospital. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment.
Israel's military campaign in Khan Younis achieved some of its objectives but failed in others. While it dismantled Hamas battalions, it did not capture or kill the group's senior leadership, including Hamas's Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, who was believed to be in Khan Younis earlier in the conflict. Nor did the Israeli military free hostages believed to be in the city.
For residents of Khan Younis, Israel's military campaign has completely disrupted life. Mohammad Abu Watfa, who has hosted dozens of friends and family in his Rafah home, traveled north to assess his in-laws' home in Khan Younis. He returned with somber news: "They lost everything."
Instead of returning to their homes in Khan Younis, many displaced Palestinians opted to return to their tents in Rafah after finding their residences destroyed or uninhabitable, salvaging whatever supplies they could. Abu Watfa observed people carrying mattresses, blankets, and firewood. Even for those with intact homes, the sight of Khan Younis's wreckage led many to conclude that returning was futile. "At least in Rafah, there is some water, some services, some electricity with solar panels," noted Abu Watfa. "There is none of that in Khan Younis."
More than 33,000 Palestinians have perished in Gaza since October 7, predominantly women and children, according to health authorities, whose data does not differentiate between militants and civilians. Israel's invasion of the besieged enclave followed attacks led by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which claimed 1,200 lives, primarily civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
Abu Amro, after visiting his former home, returned to his family's tent in Rafah just in time for one of the final evening meals of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "I hurried back to tell them there is nothing out there for us right now—we are staying in a tent," he recounted.
While grappling with the knowledge that the building where he shared memories with his siblings, cousins, and children is now gone, Abu Amro expressed gratitude for their survival. "As long as we live, we will rebuild," he affirmed.