Life will begin again in Palestie: Long-awaited Gaza ceasefire agreement announced

Wednesday, a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire agreement, brought both relief and fear among displaced Palestinians. Many welcome the end of hostilities but wide destruction and severe human loss are the very shadows cast by fragile peace.

Happy Palestinians Open up on Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

“We are holding our breath,” said Shourouk Shahine, a Palestinian journalist in Deir al-Balah, describing the prevailing sentiment. “There were many rounds of negotiations that seemed promising, only to crumble under pressure. This time, however, the international pressure on all sides appears to have been decisive.”

Now this ceasefire, introduced in a phased manner, will help many displaced Palestinians go back to their shattered homes and communities. It will also help much-needed humanitarian aid to reach there and the injured Palestinians get critical medical treatment abroad.

“We are excited to sleep without constant fear of bombings,” Shahine said. “To see a morning without agonizing images of martyrs and heartbreaking goodbyes of families.”

The war left a devastating toll on Gaza, and the Palestinian health ministry reported over 46,000 fatalities. Experts believe the true death toll is much higher because of the widespread destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

Wael, a Rafah resident, hopes that life will return to normal. “Life will start again, despite the immense loss,” he said, referring to the war’s devastating impact on his family and community. “My brother lost his legs, and my young daughter was injured.”

However, wars leave deep marks. “People in Gaza, they are so emotional,” she said. “While some could celebrate, I cannot. Only for the cause of the martyrs.”

On a serious note, she called for a basic right of a ceasefire for the people of Palestine: “It becomes the responsibility of the international communities to force it on Israel also to respect such a right.”

She said the only unfortunate thing now is that they did arm Israel also consistently and ignited this disastrous affair.

The deal encompasses the swapping of Israeli hostages with Palestinian prisoners. This is one of the key steps toward permanent peace.

“We don’t want the war to come back,” Wael said. “We have suffered too much. Our children deserve to go back to school, our hospitals to function, and our people to move freely.”

Ahmad al-Mohsen, another resident of Gaza, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Gaza will rise again, more beautiful than before, but it will take time.”