Over 92% of Gaza Envelope residents have returned home—report

Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and Holit remain in advanced stages of reconstruction, expected to be completed during 2026, with a gradual return of residents throughout 2027.

By JNS

More than 92% of residents of the Gaza Envelope region have returned home, joined by 3,000 new residents, the Tkuma Directorate said in a midyear report published on Sunday, two and a half years after the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, devastated the area.

The Tkuma Directorate is an Israeli government agency established on Oct. 19, 2023, under the Prime Minister’s Office that leads the national effort to revive the Tkuma Region, defined as cities and communities located within seven kilometers (~4.3 miles) of the Gaza border—as well as Israel’s northern region, also affected by the war.

The directorate is responsible for the rehabilitation of 47 communities in the Tkuma Region.

Five of the 10 most severely affected communities—Nirim, Re’im, Kerem Shalom, Ein HaShlosha, and Nahal Oz—have had their residents return home.

Kissufim’s residents are returning gradually in a process expected to end by the summer, the directorate said.

Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and Holit remain in advanced stages of reconstruction, expected to be completed during 2026, with a gradual return of residents throughout 2027.

Nir Oz’s recovery is slated for completion by the end of 2027, the agency added.

The remaining communities had returned within the first year following their evacuation.

The directorate received an approximately 17.5 billion shekel (~$5.93 billion) budget for a five-year plan to not only rehabilitate the region but also lay down foundations for long-term social and economic growth, according to the report.

The directorate stated that its strategic goal is to double the roughly 65,000 people currently living in the region by the end of 2033.

In terms of security, 827 million shekels (~$280 million) have been allocated from the Israeli Defense Ministry for a program named “New Horizon,” which implements lessons learned in the wake of the Hamas invasion.

The program includes the reinforcement of physical security components such as fences, gates, protection systems, and fortified spaces, alongside the installment of advanced technological systems, according to the report.

At the same time, the program places emphasis on building high operational readiness at the community and regional council levels through strengthening local emergency response teams, improving initial response capabilities, and deepening coordination with security forces.

Local teams have been trained for emergency situations and integrated into an overall system of defense with the Israel Defense Forces and other security bodies, the directorate notes.