Dozens of men from Gaza remain stranded in the West Bank more than two and a half years after the war began on October 7, unable to return home and with little certainty about their future. In Nablus, some live under stadium bleachers in a former changing room, surviving on odd jobs and recycling work while sending what money they can to families they have not seen in years. Many have lost relatives and homes to airstrikes, and now describe their lives as confined and precarious.

Others who were in Israel or the West Bank for work or medical reasons when the الحرب erupted have tried to rebuild. A former restaurant owner from Gaza City opened a small eatery in Ramallah, employing fellow Gazans and supporting his family from afar. Yet despite modest success, he says there is nothing left to return to, with his home and business destroyed.

According to the United Nations, most of Gaza’s structures have been damaged or destroyed, unemployment has surged dramatically, and prices have soared amid ongoing restrictions and violence. Even those with residency status in the West Bank remain separated from their children and spouses, unable to reunite because of crossing controls. For many stranded Gazans, the war has left them without homes, stability, or a clear path forward.