Gazans return to their ruined homes as Israel withdraws from Netzarim Corridor

China

Gazans return to their ruined homes as Israel withdraws from Netzarim Corridor

2025-02-10 21:57 Last Updated At：22:37

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are returning to their war-ruined homes following the Israeli military's withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor on Sunday in accordance with first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on Jan. 19.

After more than a year of Israeli bulldozing and demolition around the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land that bisected Gaza from north to south, the area has been reduced to barren land, with no intact buildings remaining. However, Palestinians have started returning to inspect their properties.

Amfaraj Al-Samouni, a Palestinian refugee, has returned to her family's farm and home in the corridor, only to find that both were left in total ruin during the conflict.

"As you can see, our house of six floors was completely destroyed, including my children's apartments. Nothing remains. We will definitely return and set up a tent on the rubble, and plant olive and lemon trees again. Whatever they destroy, we will rebuild," she said.

The Sleem family had lived in the Netzarim Corridor for decades and operated local production plants. Upon returning, they found no trace of their property.

"We were displaced more than once to Nuseirat, Khan Yunis, and other places. We have since returned to my uncle's home, and he has another home in Netzarim. It was a multi-story house for more than one family. Nothing remained, not even a place suitable for a tent," said Naji Sleem.

The Netzarim Corridor was previously controlled by the Israeli army, which restricted the movement of displaced Palestinians from the south to the north. Now, a Qatari-Egyptian committee oversees the corridor, allowing Palestinians to move freely.

"We left Deir al-Balah at 7:30 in the morning. The road is difficult but we will endure everything in order to reach the north, where we were initially displaced from at the beginning of the conflict," said another refugee Hadeel Ghaban.

While Israel has completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor, it will maintain a military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor near the Gaza-Egypt border. According to the ceasefire agreement, Israel is expected to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor on day 50 of the agreement.

Megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine completes maiden flight in central China

A 7.5-tonne unmanned cargo aircraft powered by AEP100, China's independently developed megawatt-class hydrogen-fueled turboprop engine, successfully completed its maiden flight on Saturday at an airport in Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan Province.

This marks the world's first test flight of a megawatt-class hydrogen-fueled turboprop engine.

Experts from the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) noted that the successful maiden flight highlights that China has now established a complete technological chain in hydrogen-fueled aviation engines, covering everything from core components to full engine integration. They added that this achievement lays the foundation for the industrial application of hydrogen energy in aviation.

As green hydrogen production costs fall, hydrogen aviation engines will show growing economic and energy security advantages, experts said. Hydrogen-fueled aero engine technology is expected to debut in low-altitude economy fields such as unmanned air freight and island logistics before gradually expanding to regional and mainline aircraft.

This technology will drive coordinated upgrades across industrial clusters, including upstream green hydrogen production, midstream storage, transportation and refueling infrastructure, and downstream high-end equipment and new materials. Ultimately, it will propel the green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of China's aviation industry, experts added.