The determination of the Palestinians to stay in Gaza and the failure of the forced migration project – Mehr News Agency | RCO News Agency

According to the Mehr news agency, citing the Palestine Information Center, tears and smiles were mixed in the grounds of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Families were waiting for buses that would bring their loved ones back after months or even years away. Among them, “Fada Imran” rested in the arms of his father, mother and sisters after a long period of treatment outside of Gaza. The moment that, according to him, made him forget all the pain of travel and distance.

He had previously emphasized in a media interview that although medical services are available outside of Gaza, nothing can replace the feeling of returning to the homeland and being with the family. According to him, the wait for this moment has been long and nowhere is better than Gaza.

The reopening of the Rafah crossing was carried out partially and under severe restrictions from February 2. This crossing was closed since May 2024 after the military operation of the Zionist army in the city of Rafah and the domination of its Palestinian part. Now, although traffic has resumed, the process of exiting and entering passengers is still accompanied by extensive restrictions.

According to published data, about 80,000 Palestinians outside Gaza have registered to return. This statistic comes up while some Zionist officials have repeatedly talked about plans to evacuate the population of Gaza in the past months. Observers believe that the Palestinians’ insistence on returning has challenged the political calculations of these plans.

Tehani Imran, another returned citizen, describes being away from Gaza as a constant torment and says that he felt relieved when he arrived in this area. “We were born here and we will stay here,” he emphasized. However, he speaks of the difficult crossing and insists that he faced restrictions and lengthy interrogations during his return.

In the same area of ​​the hospital, “Hossam al-Mansi”, a young man who had to leave Gaza due to the injury caused by the war, hugged his children and called his return an indescribable joy. He says he chose to return to Gaza before completing the treatment process because homeland, despite all the hardships, is the only place where he feels he belongs.

Iyad al-Qara, a Palestinian political analyst, believes that the return of even one person to Gaza is a practical failure for the forced migration project. According to him, the decision to return has two human and national dimensions: on the one hand, it restores the bond of families, and on the other hand, it expresses the collective awareness of the consequences of forced migration. He emphasizes that the experience of refugees returning to northern Gaza after the establishment of a ceasefire also showed the same approach.

At the same time, government sources in Gaza have accused the occupying regime of not adhering to the quotas set for the passage of passengers. According to the announcement of the government information office, only 811 people out of about 2,800 passengers have managed to go back and forth between February 2 and 15; A figure that is about 29% of the agreed amount.

At the same time, Palestinian estimates indicate that more than 22,000 sick and injured people need to leave Gaza for treatment; In a situation where the health system of this region is facing a massive collapse.

The war that began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,000 people, and has destroyed most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. For many Palestinians, however, returning home—even amid the ruins—is less expensive than living in exile; And this is a clear message that staying in the land is still their first choice.