Civil Defense: More than half a million Palestinians have returned to Gaza

The Civil Defense in Gaza reported on Saturday that more than half a million Palestinians have returned to Gaza City since the ceasefire in the Strip went into effect on Friday afternoon.

Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said, “More than half a million people have returned to Gaza City since yesterday.”

Thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north yesterday, after the ceasefire agreement went into effect. The Rashid and Salah al-Din roads were crowded with Palestinians, who returned on foot in search of what remained of their families and belongings.

An analysis conducted by the United Nations Satellite Center of data dating back to July showed that approximately 193,000 buildings in Gaza were destroyed or damaged. According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, the percentage of destruction in the Gaza Strip reached approximately 90%.