Thousands of displaced Palestinians pass through checkpoints in northern Gaza, where Egyptian contractors and a U.S. security firm inspect vehicles for concealed weapons. The checks, aided by Egyptian-Qatari committee personnel,

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returning to their homes in northern Gaza have passed through checkpoints in a central zone of the enclave where scanners check for concealed weapons being taken in cars and vehicles.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning home to northern Gaza on Monday, bracing for what awaits them in a region that has been reduced to rubble by months of brutal bombardment and fighting.