Palestinians are returning home to northern Gaza, though few of their homes still stand. Their hospitals, schools and other basic infrastructure are destroyed. For some there are tearful reunions; others search for the bodies of their loved ones. They seek hope amid the rubble of their former lives.
Yet new threats loom. Israel and the United Nations are in a standoff over the future of Unrwa, the relief agency for Palestinians. An Israeli law ending all cooperation with the agency is due to come into force on Thursday – just as desperately needed aid is finally surging into Gaza. Aid experts say no other entity has the capacity to provide its residents with the long-term support needed.
