Thousands of Palestinians have streamed north along the coast of Gaza on Saturday, trekking by foot, car, and cart back to their abandoned homes while a huge crowd gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv filled with cheers and jeers following the completion of phase one of the ceasefire.

Israeli troops pulled back under the first phase of a US-brokered agreement reached this week to end the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and left much of the enclave in ruins.

The journey back through Gaza's wasteland led to homes reduced to rubble.

"My house, which I built 40 years ago, was gone in a moment," said Ahmed al-Jabari, as he stood in the wreckage of a Gaza City street.

"I’m happy that there is no blood, no killing (but) where will we go? Will we live 20 years in a tent?"

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