Sat Jan 25 17:20:22 IST 2025: ## Gaza Women Face Grief and Uncertainty as Return to North Begins

**Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip** – A year after the devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas, internally displaced Palestinian women are finally permitted to return to their homes in northern Gaza. However, their journeys are fraught with grief and uncertainty, as many search not for homes, but for the remains of lost loved ones.

Following a ceasefire agreement, Palestinians are allowed to return on foot, but the path is a harrowing six-mile trek through rubble and bomb craters. Women like Inshirah Darabeh, 55, are driven by the desperate hope of finding her daughter Maram’s body for a proper burial. Maram, 35, and her four-month-old daughter were killed in an Israeli air raid. Inshirah’s story reflects the widespread suffering experienced by countless women who lost family members during the conflict.

Olfat Abdrabboh, 25, also faces the agonizing task of returning to her destroyed home in Beit Lahiya. Her four-year-old son died in her arms after an Israeli air raid on a mosque, while her father lost his legs in the same attack. She is determined to return and pitch a tent amidst the rubble, seeking to reunite her remaining family.

Zulfa Abushanab, 28, and Hayam Khalaf, 33, represent the broader spectrum of hardship faced by women. Separated from their families for months, living in overcrowded and substandard conditions, they eagerly await the return to a semblance of normalcy, despite the destruction they face.

The story of Jamalat Wadi, or Um Mohammed, 62, highlights the lingering trauma. Her son, Mohammed, 25, remained in Jabalia to protect their home and is presumed dead. Um Mohammed is determined to find his body and give him a proper burial.

The return to northern Gaza marks a significant step in the aftermath of the conflict, but for these women, the journey home is intertwined with the heartbreaking process of mourning and the arduous task of rebuilding their lives amidst unimaginable loss. The return process, facilitated by a multinational consortium including US private security contractors, has been negotiated amidst significant challenges, particularly regarding the movement of vehicles.

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