Khan Yunis residents rushed back to their city on Sunday (April 7) after it was announced that Israeli forces have withdrawn from southern Gaza.
The residents found a wasteland of destruction and rubble.
Khan Yunis has come under intense Israeli bombardment in recent months.
Much of the city had been destroyed, buildings bombed, overturned cars stuck in the mud near craters left by missiles. Damaged hospital beds were seen on one street.
"It is a shock, a shock, what happened was not small really, while coming on the way in the car I saw things, the destruction is unbearable," said Mohammed Abou Diab who was among those who rushed back to his old neighbourhood when he heard that the Israeli forces had left.
The Israeli military has withdrawn more ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip, leaving just one brigade there six months after the start of its offensive, a spokesperson for the force said on Sunday.
The military has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and under growing pressure from its ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation. It did not give details on its reasons for withdrawing soldiers or the numbers involved.
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