Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, Palestine – Saqr Maqdad and his family set out on their difficult journey back to northern Gaza late on Sunday night, hours before Israel reopened the north for the first time since the early days of its 15-month war on the Palestinian enclave, following a fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Leaving behind the Khan Younis displacement camp in the south, the 31-year-old, along with his wife, and two daughters, Reema, 5, and two-year-old Rawaa, walked northward along the coastal al-Rashid road hoping to reach Beit Hanoon, the family’s hometown, at the far northern tip of the besieged territory.

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The Maqdad family were among an estimated 200,000 Palestinians who streamed back into the most devastated parts of the Gaza Strip on Monday, a dramatic return to areas many had feared Israel would never allow them to re-enter in the aftermath of the war.

When Al Jazeera met them as they passed through central Gaza, they had already walked approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 miles), carrying only a few small bags of clothing.

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But the family were determined nonetheless, adamant that they would return home.

“We’re going back to the place where we grew up, the land that holds our memories,” Saqr said. “Even if it’s destroyed, it’s still ours.”

That sentiment, implicitly shared by the thousands journeying north, is in direct conflict with comments made by United States President Donald Trump on Saturday, where he suggested that Palestinians in Gaza could be sent to neighbouring Jordan and Egypt.

“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say: ‘You know, it’s over’,” Trump said.

While Trump said that the move could be a temporary measure, his comments drew immediate backlash, with critics accusing him of advocating for mass displacement, particularly in light of the Israeli far-right’s push for illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza.

“Trump’s talk of relocating us is pure fantasy,” Saqr scoffed. “Does he think, after everything we’ve endured, we’ll just leave? This is our home, and we’re staying.”

He emphasised that his family’s journey to Beit Hanoon was about more than simply returning home.

“It’s a message to the occupation and its backers: we will not abandon our land. We’ll stay here, no matter the cost.”

Across Gaza, Palestinians have rejected Trump’s proposal, viewing it as an extension of efforts to “uproot them from their land”, Saqr added.

“No political scheme, no matter how powerful, can change that,” he explained.

“Every step we took back to the north was a step against displacement,” he said. “This is our land. We were born here, and we will die here.”

No relocation

In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, 76-year-old Abu Suleiman Zawaraa has been quietly waging his own form of resistance. His farm, once teeming with olive and citrus trees, was razed during a months-long Israeli military operation. Abu Suleiman has spent the past few months reclaiming the land.

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“I’ve cleared seven dunams [7,000 square metres] of rubble by hand,” he said, gesturing towards the freshly tilled soil. “Why? Because this is my land, and no one can take it from me.”

For Abu Suleiman, the act of farming is also a declaration of defiance.

“Living among the rubble is a challenge, but it’s one we’ve accepted,” he said. “Leaving Gaza is out of the question. We’ve survived bombardments, destruction, and loss. We will not give up now.”

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched on October 7, 2023, has left an unparalleled toll on the enclave. With more than 46,700 Palestinians dead, including 18,000 children, and nearly 1.9 million people displaced, there is little left untouched. More than half of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including critical infrastructure: 92 percent of primary roads and 84 percent of health facilities have been compromised.

Abu Suleiman dismissed Trump’s relocation comments, saying he “doesn’t understand history or reality”.

“A people who have endured 15 months of relentless bombardment and refused to leave will never agree to forced relocation,” Abu Suleiman said.

For many Palestinians, the prospect of leaving their homeland is not just unthinkable; it is a betrayal of their history and identity.

“Yes, we have endured unimaginable suffering, the destruction of everything we own, and the trauma of genocide,” said Abu Suleiman. “But none of this can push anyone to accept displacement. Our memories of the Nakba in 1948 remain vivid. Those who left then never returned, and we will not let history repeat itself.”

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The Nakba, or “catastrophe”, the event that Abu Suleiman referred to, was the forced displacement of at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in 1948 upon the formation of Israel on 78 percent of historical Palestine.

That memory has stayed for many Palestinians, and often shapes their actions today.

Abu Suleiman pointed out that opportunities to leave Gaza were available during and even before the war, but people have overwhelmingly chosen to stay, even as death loomed closer than life.

“We see ourselves as part of the resistance, as defenders of Palestine. To give in or leave would mean paying a price the entire nation cannot afford,” he said. “This heavy burden only strengthens our resolve to hold on to our land, even if it means living amid ruins.”

Israa Mansour, a 35-year-old mother of four living in a makeshift tent after her home was destroyed in Khan Younis, backed Abu Suleiman’s argument.

“We refuse to leave, not because we lack options, but because this is our home,” she said. “Even my children understand the value of staying in our land despite the suffering.”

Israa argued, however, that Palestinian leaders must step up to provide minimum support, including education, healthcare, and emergency aid, to help people withstand the unbearable conditions.

“How can we fight displacement if we lack the basic necessities of life? Is it reasonable to expect Gaza to endure this inferno indefinitely while demanding more resilience from its people?” Israa said. “Without food, shelter, and basic needs, even the strongest families might be forced to consider alternatives, not out of a lack of patriotism, but out of sheer desperation.”

‘This is our land’

Hani al-Aqqad, a Palestinian political analyst from Gaza, sees Palestinian refusal to abandon their land as a significant reason for why he believes Trump’s proposed relocation plan will fail.

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“Every past attempt to displace Palestinians has failed because they consider this fight their own,” he said. “When families camp in the open for days, just to return to the ruins of their northern towns, it’s the ultimate expression of determination to stay.”

Al-Aqqad pointed to the mass return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, despite the complete destruction and lack of services in the region, which was particularly targeted by Israel during the war, as a message to both Israel and international proponents of relocation.

“Trump and others fail to understand the Palestinians,” he said. “This is not just about living on land; it’s about a relationship with their homeland that is uncompromising and deeply rooted in history and identity.”

“The return to the north, knowing what awaits, is a clear rejection of forced relocation,” al-Aqqad said. “Those advocating for such schemes must accept that Palestinians will never leave their land. Instead, they should focus on recognising their rights and supporting a pathway to statehood.”

He also dismissed the idea of “voluntary displacement” through deliberate deprivation.

“Israel has succeeded in making Gaza nearly unlivable,” he said. “But they have failed to separate Palestinians from their land. Palestinians in Gaza have proven time and again that they can revive even the most devastated places, knowing their struggle is not just about survival but a national mission.”

This article is published in collaboration with Egab.