Palestinians Return to Ruins, US Troops Land in Israel as Ceasefire Holds/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Palestinians are returning to devastated neighborhoods in Gaza as a fragile ceasefire with Israel enters its second day. Meanwhile, 200 U.S. troops have arrived in Israel to assist in coordinating aid and monitoring the truce. Humanitarian agencies urge expanded access to deliver food and supplies as Gaza faces massive destruction.
Gaza Ceasefire and U.S. Response Quick Looks
- Ceasefire holds on Day 2, allowing tens of thousands to return
- 200 U.S. troops land in Israel to support ceasefire and aid logistics
- U.S. Central Command to establish coordination center — no troops in Gaza
- UNICEF warns homes are “reduced to dust”; urges urgent humanitarian aid
- World Food Program ready to reopen 145 food sites pending Israeli approval
- 500+ aid trucks entered Gaza Friday, but crossings remain limited
- Israel expects 48 hostages to be released Monday under truce terms
- Over 67,000 Palestinians killed, 170,000 wounded since October 2023
- Trump administration calls for international force to secure Gaza
- $49 billion in damage estimated; more bodies discovered daily
Deep Look: Palestinians Return to Rubble as Ceasefire Holds and U.S. Troops Arrive in Israel
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A tense calm has returned to Gaza as thousands of Palestinians cautiously return home amid the second day of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Streets once filled with smoke and explosions now echo with the sounds of footsteps and bulldozers — though what people are returning to is often nothing more than rubble.
The truce, brokered with heavy U.S. involvement, marks a pause in a two-year war that has killed over 67,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
U.S. Forces Arrive to Support Ceasefire and Hostage Efforts
As part of the agreement, about 200 U.S. troops arrived in Israel on Saturday, tasked with supporting logistical operations, hostage recovery, and ceasefire monitoring. According to U.S. Central Command leader Admiral Brad Cooper, these troops will not enter Gaza, but will establish a coordination center for humanitarian operations and communication with allies.
“This great effort will be achieved with no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza,” Cooper confirmed.
Palestinians Return to Destroyed Homes
Returning residents were met not with relief, but with the harsh reality of obliterated neighborhoods. According to UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram, “A ceasefire alone is not enough. People are returning to dust, not homes. We need a surge in humanitarian aid.”
UN officials say that over three-quarters of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed — an amount equivalent to the rubble of 25 Eiffel Towers, much of it containing toxic debris from destroyed infrastructure and munitions.
Aid Efforts Struggle to Keep Up
The World Food Program (WFP) says it is ready to reopen 145 food distribution centers, a vital step in alleviating widespread hunger and malnutrition. Prior to the border closures in March, over 400 food access points were operating under UN coordination.
A senior UN official confirmed on condition of anonymity that Israel has approved expanded deliveries starting Sunday, though the mechanism and timeline remain unclear. Aid will still need to be cleared at border crossings, many of which remain restricted or closed.
COGAT, Israel’s military coordination body for humanitarian aid, reported that over 500 aid trucks entered Gaza on Friday — the highest single-day delivery since early 2024.
Still, more than 170,000 metric tons of food aid are stalled in Egypt and Jordan, waiting for clearance.
Hostage Release Expected Monday
As part of the truce terms, 48 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas are expected to be released Monday. Israel believes around 20 of them remain alive.
In Tel Aviv, families gathered at Hostages Square, clinging to hope.
“Everything is just hanging on a thread,” said Maayan Eliasi. “We haven’t slept for days.”
The 2023 Hamas attack, which launched the war, saw 251 people taken hostage and 1,200 killed. The trauma of that event continues to shape Israel’s domestic politics and military response.
Governing Gaza Post-War: Unanswered Questions
One of the most critical unresolved issues is who will govern Gaza once the Israeli military fully withdraws. The ceasefire agreement reportedly calls for Hamas to disarm, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains skeptical.
“If Hamas disarms peacefully, good. If not, we will disarm them by force,” Netanyahu said Friday.
The Trump administration has proposed a 20-point post-war plan, which includes:
- An open-ended Israeli military buffer inside Gaza near its borders
- An international peacekeeping force made up of Arab and Muslim countries
- A U.S.-led coordination center based in Israel to manage aid, security, and future governance
According to a leaked readout, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told Israeli officials that aircraft may operate over Gaza, but no American troops would be deployed inside.
A Humanitarian Crisis Decades in the Making
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 67,000 people have been killed since the war began, with nearly 170,000 wounded. Roughly half the casualties are women and children, making this one of the deadliest modern conflicts in recent history.
Hospitals continue to recover bodies from the rubble. A senior staff member at Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza confirmed 45 more bodies were brought in over the past 24 hours, many buried for weeks before discovery.
In February, a joint assessment by the World Bank and European Union estimated the total cost of war damage at $49 billion, including:
- $16 billion to housing infrastructure
- $6.3 billion to the health sector
Global and Regional Fallout
The war has sparked global protests, intensified sectarian tensions, and led to genocide allegations against Israel — which it firmly denies. The conflict has also drawn in regional actors, with smaller clashes erupting in Lebanon, Syria, and the Red Sea.
While the ceasefire is a welcome reprieve, most analysts agree it is fragile and heavily conditional. Any failure in hostage release, aid delivery, or military restraint could collapse the truce in days.
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