Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on 15 January, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners has continued in an atmosphere of hope and concern. Since Sunday 26 January and the authorisation given to Gazans to return to the northern part of Gaza, thousands of refugees have taken to the roads in an impressive exodus towards their former homes, or what remains of them. Many of them find themselves in ruins: more than 66% of the buildings in the Palestinian enclave are destroyed or damaged, according to a United Nations report.
On 27 January, Donald Trump also reiterated his desire to ‘clean house’ by moving Gaza’s refugees to Jordan and Egypt, which would amount to a new ‘nakba’ that the Arab world and other countries allied with the United States have been quick to reject. In addition to the absence of a plan for the future, this fragile truce is undermined by the scale of Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’ operation in the occupied West Bank, where Israel is dangerously increasing the pressure.
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