Celebrations erupted across the Gaza Strip as a long-awaited ceasefire finally took hold, a moment of good news after 15 months of devastating conflict that left much of the coastal enclave in ruins.
The truce took effect at 11:15 AM local time, Sunday-which is 09:15 GMT-coinciding with an agreement by Hamas to release a list of three female captives to Israel through mediators. The announcement brought palpable joy to the streets of Gaza.
The residents of Gaza welcomed this decision, he said: “Since the announcement of the ceasefire, I immediately prepared everything because I am ready to go to Gaza City. My children are so excited to meet our family and to see our homeland.” Fear, which enveloped many, was now starting to dissipate, and was being replaced by cautious optimism over the wish for their life to get back to normal.
Gaza health workers and rescuers joined in, as several videos made the rounds online of the civil defense teams gleefully chanting and raising the victory sign. News reported there have been no violations in the ceasefire since it began; the sounds of gunfire replaced with celebratory fireworks.
The jubilation, however, was overshadowed by the fact that the cost of the war was still stark. Before the cease-fire took hold, Israeli forces said at least 19 more Palestinians were killed to bring the number of deaths in the 15-month conflict to almost 47,000; many groups said that number could be far higher.
Once the ceasefire came, some of these families, whose homes had not been evacuated during the unending bombings, began streaming back home amidst fanfare. Those who sought shelter within the hospital premises gathered their belongings in excitement and finally left the facility, hoping for a return to their communities.
One displaced man from Khan Younis wanted to go back to Rafah even though his house there had been destroyed. “I will go there and find a place to set up a tent for my family,” he said. His recollections of the last few months resembled a tale of survival.
Others mirrored similar sentiments, narrating living in makeshift conditions with minimal available resources. The displaced resident from northern Gaza added that his residence was reduced to rubble, giving his extended family nowhere to stay.
As the city celebrated, though, some residents are feeling conflicted. One said the stressors and uncertainty remained, especially since the ceasefire did not come cohesively enough to prevent further psychological tolls.
As Gaza passes through this sensitive moment of peace, the road to recovery is cloudy, with many people yearning for stability and going back to everyday life.
