Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip – Inshirah Darabeh is focused on one thing as she gets ready to leave her in-laws’ home near Deir el-Balah and head back to her own home in Gaza City: finding her daughter Maram’s body and giving her a proper burial. “I don’t care about going back to my house, all I want is to find her grave and mark her name on a tombstone,” she explains. Inshirah, 55, is willing to walk over 10km (6 miles) through rubble and bomb craters to reach her destination, expecting the journey to take about three hours. She is filled with a mix of dread, pain, and relief as she leaves the place where she sought refuge during Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians, with many more presumed dead and buried under the rubble.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect last Sunday, allowed internally displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the north without inspection by Israeli soldiers. However, complications arose following a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel, temporarily delaying the return of displaced individuals to the north. Meanwhile, those in the south of Gaza are left waiting for updates.
Since the invasion by Israeli ground troops in November 2023, Gaza has been divided in two, with the Netzarim Corridor cutting off Gaza City and other northern towns from the south. Inshirah’s story mirrors that of countless other women who have suffered unimaginable loss and are now eager to return home and rebuild their lives. Despite the challenges and uncertainties, their resilience and determination remain strong.