00:00After a chaotic first week of crossings between Egypt and Gaza, the Palestinian Authority
00:05said on Monday that things were improving, with the highest number of Palestinians crossing
00:09since the reopening last week.
00:12Among the returnees was Etta Dalrayan, who had been brought to Egypt for surgery after
00:17being wounded by gunfire during the war.
00:20She said she and her family had no hesitation returning despite the many challenges.
00:26Many people warned us, saying, don't go back, there's a war, no water, no food.
00:32Gaza is destroyed and uninhabitable.
00:34People leave Gaza and never return.
00:36But our families and homeland are there.
00:38No matter how beautiful Egypt is and how kind its people are, being away from home is bitter.
00:45Nonetheless, she was not quite prepared for the scenes of devastation she witnessed upon
00:51her return.
00:52When I first entered Gaza I was happy, but I was shocked by the scenes of destruction.
00:58My first impression of Rafa, Khan Yunus and the surrounding areas was utter devastation.
01:03No single house was left intact.
01:06The United Nations has begun installing its first batch of relief housing units for displaced
01:12Gazans.
01:13Imperfect as the temporary dwellings might be, they are welcome respite from the miseries of
01:17living in tents in winter.
01:19Thank God, it makes a big difference.
01:23It feels like you're at home.
01:25You don't feel like you're in a tent.
01:26You don't feel the wind.
01:28You don't feel the cold.
01:29You don't feel the storms.
01:31Before, we used to be afraid when a storm was coming.
01:36Crossings at Rafa remain at a trickle though, with an estimated 20,000 Gazans seeking to
01:41leave for medical care.
01:43For now, most of the movement in the opposite direction is getting badly needed aid through.
01:48your entire system is getting less and down to the rest of the system.
01:53The wind seems to beηt anybody to come to the surface of a storm versus a storm.
01:59And that is the calm that people need to freeze back to the earth.
02:02If you're struggling with a storm, you'll be able to get�.
02:06It's my first test of the storm.
02:08It's not a storm!
02:09You have to be able to die for a storm, and you will be able to die.
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