Gaza - Displaced return to northern Gaza - 27 January 2025

Description
STORY: OCHA / NORTHERN GAZA RETURNEES
TRT: 05:54
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT OCHA ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 27 JANUARY 2025, NETZARIM AREA, GAZA

Shotlist
1. Various shots, people crossing from south to north Gaza
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) displaced person returning to north Gaza:
“We were tired as we walked from Deir El Balah – I returned from Deir El Balah, I walked from there.”
3. Various shots, vehicles and people on the move
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Gloria Lazic, OCHA Gaza:
“Behind me you see thousands and thousands of people who are able to cross from south to north following months and months of displacement in horrible conditions in the south of Gaza Strip. You see a lot of hope in their eyes. You see the happiness to find the loved ones that they left in the North. And at the same time, it's so sad because this is a long seven kilometers walk- and also a bit of apprehension, because many of them don't know what they're going to find in their area of origin.”
5. Wide shot, returnees walking
6. Wide shot, people at a water station
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gloria Lazic, OCHA Gaza:
“Unfortunately, thousands of people will find their homes completely destroyed. And this is where we need to mobilize humanitarian partners, but also development partners, as soon as possible to rebuild all this. We already have a number of humanitarian organizations mobilized and on the starting blocks, ready to set up shelters, to provide water-trucking, to provide health services. But we need much more. Some areas were completely wiped out. So, we count on you to mobilize as much as possible.”
8. Various shots, vehicles and people on the move

Storyline
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians started returning to their places of origin in northern Gaza, after the Israeli army opened the checkpoint on Al Rashid road, allowing people from southern areas of the Strip to move north.

Humanitarian partners have been monitoring the movement of these displaced families and providing them with hot meals, high-energy biscuits and emergency medical care as needed.

They report that more than 200,000 people returned from southern Gaza to the north today (27 Jan).