As soon as the Gaza ceasefire was finalized last month, Emad Shomar headed north to find the home he hadn’t seen in 15 months. He found himself in a bewildering moonscape of ruination, his house bulldozed.
The 55-year-old considered pitching a tent, but unexploded military devices gave him pause. He had neither the expertise nor the machinery required to create a habitable environment. Even the act of building a washroom next to a tent seemed insurmountable; cement was unavailable. Reality sank in. Shomar returned to his family’s makeshift shelter in central Gaza.
When U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that the more than 2 million residents of Gaza should move abroad so U.S. companies could clear the landscape and rebuild it after the Israel-Hamas war, he was condemned across the world, including by many Gazans who’ve struggled to hold on to their homes and lives and for whom displacement is part of their collective trauma.
Trump repeated the idea on Thursday, saying Gaza would be "turned over” to the U.S. at the conclusion of fighting, and Palestinians moved to "far safer and more beautiful communities.”
But the reality of life in Gaza means there are no good options.
"In the past, people were forced to leave Gaza to seek a better life and they regret or miss the many things that tied them to this place, like family, home, friends and memories,” Shomar said. "Today, nothing of that is left. More people are willing to move. The war has stopped, but we are in daily wars of thinking, calculating, and trying to decide.”
For Palestinians, whose families fled or were driven from what is now Israel in the 1948 war that led to the country’s existence, the prospect of further displacement can seem unthinkable. This is especially true of Gazans, some 80% of whom are descendants of refugees from that conflict.
As a result, sumud, a Palestinian concept of collective resilience and steadfastness, is a core cultural value Gazans hold up when asked about their plans: we will not be driven again from our homes.
But the war of the past 16 months — triggered when Hamas militants stormed into Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 and kidnapping 250 — has been so destructive, there are other considerations for those on the ground. Hamas officials say at least 47,000 Gazans have been killed in the conflict, while much of the urban areas have been laid to waste.
Trump aides have sought to soften his proposal — which he repeated in a Truth Social post on Thursday — no, the plan wouldn’t force anyone out, yes they’d be welcome to return if they chose, no it wouldn’t bring thousands of U.S. troops into Gaza, yes U.S. firms would work with regional partners.
Still, the idea that some — perhaps many — Gazans would leave if given the option, has started to take hold, particularly in Israel. On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he has ordered the military to prepare a plan for such moves.
"I welcome U.S. President Trump’s bold plan,” he said in a statement. "Gaza residents should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration as is customary anywhere in the world — the plan will include exit options at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air.”
Before the Israel-Hamas war started, polls showed at least a third of Gazans hoped to move for a better life elsewhere. Since the conflict started, no such surveys have been taken.
"When people speak to the press now, they speak as part of a group, not as individuals,” said Dr. Fadel Ashour, a Gaza psychiatrist. "There is a big difference between collective and individual psychological mechanisms. What you might reject as part of a group, you might accept as an individual if you lose hope.”
He added, "The two most important factors in losing hope, and thus migration, are: first, the presence of Hamas; and second, the failure to provide aid and rebuild.”
Hamas, backed by Iran, is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and many other governments. Israel has declared that one of its key war goals is to rid Gaza entirely of Hamas rule and military infrastructure, something that is far from being achieved.
The initial phase of the ceasefire involves the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and bringing in aid to the strip. But whether the truce will be extended beyond six weeks is unclear. Trump’s call may complicate negotiations.
According to United Nations estimates, two-thirds of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Streets are choked with debris, making even short journeys treacherous. Water and sewage networks don’t function, leaving even those homes that are still standing without running water.
In the first hours of the ceasefire, Mona al-Harazeen, 38, a mother of three from Gaza City, headed back to the northern town from her displacement tent on foot. She was following a path her son had taken when he tried to return a year ago. He never came back. She found his remains, a skeleton, and recognized him from his shoes.
"I took my son and buried him in Gaza City,” she said, adding that she wanted to be near his burial site. For now, she isn’t thinking of leaving the territory. But when asked whether she might consider going, her reply was, "Who knows?”
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