Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, residents of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip have started returning home, but only finding their houses were completely destroyed and in ruins.

Israel has withdrawn all ground troops except for one brigade from southern Gaza including the Khan Younis area, six months after it launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 400,000 people lived in and around Khan Younis before the current Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023. Much of the city is now in ruins after months of Israel's bombardment.

This footage was filmed and produced 9 April 2024.

Storyline:
Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, residents of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip have started returning home, but only finding their houses were completely destroyed and in ruins.

Israel has withdrawn all ground troops except for one brigade from the southern Gaza including the Khan Younis area, six months after it launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 400,000 people lived in and around Khan Younis before the current Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023. Much of the city is now in ruins after months of Israel's bombardment.

In the once prosperous downtown area of Khan Younis, civil defense workers are trying their best to clear the roads, and the remains and belongings of those killed in the Israeli bombardment are continuously excavated from the ruins.

Many returning residents are carefully checking the ruins, hoping to find something that can be used in their daily lives, with some perching atop the demolished structures, sifting through piles of rubble that once housed their families.

Israeli troops were withdrawn from southern Gaza in preparation for a possible operation in the city of Rafah, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday.

Despite that Khan Younis has become uninhabitable, the residents of the city have no other choice, particularly with the looming threat of Israeli attacks on Rafah.

Shotlist:
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip - April 9, 2024:
1. Various of residents carrying belongs to find their former home;
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ballbach, returned resident (full name not given):
"I checked my home and the home of my relatives, but I couldn't find any suitable place to live. Everything here is in ruins. I was shocked by what I saw. Now I can only go back to the temporary tent built by the sea.";
3. Returned residents on vehicle, destroyed buildings;
4. Workers checking discovered things from ruins;
5. Various of workers clearing debris;
6. Various of destroyed buildings, residents;
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Chakla, resident (full name not given):
"Upon arriving at home, I rushed to check my house and found that not only the house was destroyed, but also the trees surrounding the house. My home is no longer there, and we have even lost the hope of reconstruction. Khan Younis has now become a pile of rubbles and even the trees are dead.";
8. Various of destroyed buildings, residents.

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