Amid the long-hoped-for calm brought by the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip, displaced Palestinians are finally returning homes, only to find their neighborhoods in indescribable ruins. The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect at 12:00 local time (0900 GMT) on Friday, offering a tentative path toward ending the two-year conflict that has shattered numerous residential communities and caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the enclave. As the Israeli forces began withdrawing from parts of Gaza, many Palestinians trekked back home in the Sheikh Radwan district in Gaza City. What used to be their bustling neighborhoods, however, was left unrecognizable, with buildings razed to the ground and streets strewn with mounds of rubble. Another said the devastation caused by Israeli bombardment was akin to the aftermath of a nuclear bombing. Gaza, home to more than one million Palestinians, was pounded by airstrikes and artillery shelling as the Israeli army planned to occupy the entire city, before the first phased of the ceasefire deal took hold. Shotlist: Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Oct 11, 2025: 1. Various of Palestinians returning to neighborhood in ruins; 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suad Al-Alwan, former resident of Sheikh Radwan district (partially overlaid with shot 3): "I returned to Sheikh Radwan and found it completely destroyed. Look! Every house here is shattered beyond description. We came back expecting our homes to be damaged, but not like this. It's indescribable. The houses were wiped out, and so were the people."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Neighborhood in ruins, people; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 4. Various of neighborhood in ruins; 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mamdouh Hamdan, former resident of Sheikh Radwan district: "When the Israeli army withdrew, we came back, only to be shocked by this catastrophic destruction in Sheikh Radwan and the surrounding areas. When I saw the scene, I said this looks like a nuclear bombing, not missiles. I fainted twice when I saw the devastation -- this is the situation for everyone here."; 6. Various of rubble, people holding Palestinian flag; 7. Various of returning Palestinians. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]