THOUSANDS returned to their properties within the blitzed Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis yesterday — solely to seek out them decreased to rubble.
Palestinians headed again hoping they may decide up their lives after Israeli troops pulled out.
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As an alternative, as they arrived on foot or on trailers pulled by tractors, they found the total extent of the devastation from weeks of intense combating that has raged in Gaza’s second greatest metropolis.
Condominium blocks had been decreased to piles of rubble, leaving many with no possibility however to salvage what they may and return to the place that they had come from. For a lot of, that will likely be to a tent.
Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled in December, mentioned: “Many areas have change into unfit for all times.
“My and my neighbours’ homes had change into rubble.” Dad-of-two Bassel Abu Nasser, 37, added: “There’s no sense of life.”
Town has been the scene of fierce combating since December as Israel Defence Forces hunted Hamas terrorists in a 100-mile community of tunnels underground.
Khan Younis is the house metropolis of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar — dubbed Gaza’s Bin Laden — and Israel has been determined to seize or kill him. However yesterday he remained at massive as all however one Israeli brigades left.
Palestinian medics mentioned 42 our bodies had been recovered from rubble. There are not any help companies working there.
Navy chiefs confused the withdrawal was a tactical transfer to organize for an all-out assault on the border metropolis of Rafah, mentioned to be Hamas’s ultimate stronghold however the place 1.4 million Gazans are sheltering.
Final night time, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned a date was set for the push.
It got here as Cairo peace talks stalled. A Hamas official mentioned: “There’s no progress.”
In the meantime, Downing Road denied claims of a Cupboard cut up on Gaza.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden had defended Britain’s refusal to droop arms gross sales to Israel. However Overseas Secretary Lord Cameron mentioned help for Israel was “not unconditional”.
Rishi Sunak’s spokesman mentioned: “We proceed to help Israel’s proper to self-defence.”
It comes forward of Lord Cameron’s go to to Washington immediately. He isn’t anticipated to announce that Britain will droop arms gross sales.
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POPE KIDNAP VISIT
By Adela Whittingham
THE Pope yesterday met the family of among the hostages captured in Israel.
Pope Francis spoke to 5 households six months and a day after the October 7 assaults on their nation.
Guests to the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace included Bezalel Shnaider, the uncle of Shiri Bibas, who was taken together with her sons Ariel, 4, and nine-month-old Kffir.
Additionally on the palace was Gal Dalal, who survived the assault on the Supernova Pageant whereas her brother Man, 22, was kidnapped.
In response to Israel, 253 Israelis and foreigners had been taken and about 130 hostages stay unaccounted for — with no less than 34 of those presumed lifeless.
It’s the second time the Pope — who has known as for a ceasefire in Gaza — has met with hostages’ family.
