Palestinian woman who fled to Philadelphia reacts to Gaza return

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

For the first time in over a year, thousands of Palestinians are being allowed to return home.

Israel opened the border to Northern Gaza on Monday. Among those watching people return is a woman who fled Gaza for Philadelphia. Amna Alsultan says her family members are happy to return to Gaza, but they’re not returning to much.

As Alsultan sat at a home in North Philadelphia, she scrolled through photos of her children during happier times at their home inside a four-story apartment in Gaza.

“It was a beautiful building,” she said while looking at photos of her children playing in the family’s living room.

But, recently, she received a sad update on the family’s home. “My family mostly lost everything,” she said.

Her husband, who remains in the Gaza area, sent her video of the family’s home, which was destroyed in a bombing. He sent the video as Israel allowed Palestinians to return to northern Gaza for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas. Her family members in Palestine, though, say there’s not much left.

“They’re so happy about returning to their homes. But unfortunately, there’s no homes for them to go back,” she said. “In my town, basically you don’t see nothing now. No schools, no hospitals.”

International video shows streams of Palestinians returning to the war-ravaged Northern Gaza– many of them on foot

“A lot of the cars were destroyed in the war,” said Alsultan. “So most of the people, they choose to go walking.”

“What they’re going to find, they’re going to find ruin, actually,” said Abeer Karzoun who is president of the Philadelphia chapter of Heal Palestine.

Karzoun says many of the families will end up pitching tents where their homes once stood. That’s why Heal Palestine is already offering help.

“Get them food, start recognizing who’s the one who needs care so we can send them out,” said Karzoun.

Alsultan lost her infant son who couldn’t get medical treatment during the war. Her 3-year-old son lost his leg. Her five-year-old daughter was also severely injured. Her oldest son wasn’t physically injured, but the emotional scars could still remain.

“I don’t want them to even remember what they witnessed in this war,” she said.

We asked Alsultan if she’d ever like to return home.

“I really want to go back,” she said. “I miss it there. I love it there. But I still have so much fears to go back.”

She’s worried about the possibility of more war and the destruction this one left behind.

“I witnessed so many wars but this was the worst one,” she said.

“We’re talking about a really long way of recovery,” said Karzoun.

For now, Alsultan will stay in Philadelphia where her children have been getting medical treatment. She doesn’t know yet how much longer her daughter will have to get treatment and surgeries.

By some estimates, the violence in Gaza has displaced about 90% of people living there.

Alsultan hopes to one day return to a rebuilt Gaza.

“I wish there was no wars in my country,” she said.