Gazans prepare for life after war

As news of the long-awaited cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas spread on Wednesday evening, thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip did not hold back. they went out into the dark, bombed-out streets, cheered, sang, cried, and fired guns into the air in celebration;

But for most, the joy in the Gaza Strip The expected end to the devastating 15-month war The deadliest in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is mixed with the grief of death, destruction, and the realization that their lives can never be the same.

“People are very happy,” said Shifa al-Ghazali, a mother of four young children in Gaza City who lost her husband, mother, brother and two uncles in the war [too] I’m optimistic despite my pain.”

“We lost everything, including loved ones, but it’s time for this flood of blood to stop,” said Nida Ayta, a businesswoman who has been living for months with hundreds of thousands of displaced people in an overcrowded tent city on a windswept beach. in the coastal region of Al-Mawasi.

“My house in Gaza City was bombed and destroyed, but I’m happy to go back and live in its ruins. I can’t believe we’re finally going home.” I was displaced 14 times.”

The plight of Gazans, who have been living under a fierce Israeli siege and bombardment since the October 7, 2023 attack on the Jewish state by Hamas, which officials say killed 1,200 people, has reverberated around the world.

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military bombings and ground incursions, officials say, with many still reeling from the crushing loss of many family members.

Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, with about 1.9 million of the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million residents displaced, many multiple times, and thousands more unaccounted for, according to Gaza health authorities.

Most of the displaced have taken refuge in al-Mawasi, which Israel has designated as a “humanitarian zone” but is sometimes the target of deadly Israeli fire.

In what has become known as “Orphan City,” a camp for families whose breadwinners were killed in al-Mawasi, organizer and teacher Mahmoud Kalakh said news of the ceasefire was greeted with joy, with people cheering and singing.

“People are so happy that this nightmare is over. . but it is mingled with deep sorrow; Because as soon as the war ends, a new bleeding will begin – bleeding of pain and loss,” Kalakh said. “Everyone here is experiencing the same pain, everyone has lost their fathers or mothers. . . but as people begin to return home, the real feelings of loss and anguish will begin.”

After consulting with families, about 3,000 people are being hosted at the camp, Kalach said they decided to keep Orphan City open because many have nowhere to go.

In another camp, 14-year-old Mohammad lost his mother and father to Israeli bombing. “We hope the war will end so we can go on with our lives and just do normal things,” said Mohammad, whose leg was amputated during the war. “I personally want to play football.”

The truce is scheduled to begin on Sunday with an initial six-week ceasefireis expected to finally bring relief to both sides. Israelis hope it will lead to the release of the remaining 98 hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

It is a chance for Gazans to begin to address the dire humanitarian conditions in the enclave, which has been without electricity since the start of the war and the health system has collapsed due to frequent attacks by Israeli forces, who say Hamas militants are hiding inside hospitals.

Israel’s restrictions on aid convoys have also led to severe shortages of fuel, food and warm clothing, with UN officials saying many, especially in the cut-off north, have been on the brink of starvation for months.As part of the deal, Israel is required to allow 600 a day humanitarian aid truck.

However, the catharsis was tinged with deep uncertainty about how much aid Gazans could expect. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday postponed a cabinet meeting to approve the deal, after coming under pressure from far-right members of his coalition who are against the deal.

And once the cease-fire takes effect, negotiators still need to finalize a second and possibly third phase of the deal to finally end the war and, in theory, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.

Israel also stepped up shelling ahead of Sunday, with Palestinian health authorities saying Thursday that 77 people had been killed and 250 wounded in attacks since the ceasefire agreement was announced.

Gaza faces a massive rebuilding effort, with millions of tons of broken concrete littered with unexploded bombs that will take years to clear, UN officials said.

Om Ahmed, a mother of three who lived in Al-Mawasi with her husband, was displaced from Jabalia, a once bustling northern town of 200,000 people. turned into ruins through the ongoing Israeli military operation since Oct. He planned to return even though his home was gone.

“They say there will be tents or caravans where we can live,” he said. “We don’t know if everything will get better and we will stay safe or if something bad will happen. Only God knows. It’s been hard here because we don’t have money, but now all that matters is peace.”

Feda Zeyad, a writer whose family was displaced from Gaza City, said she too is looking forward to returning north to search the ruins of her home for mementos of her late mother.

Zeyad also wants to be reunited with his sister, a doctor who he says is currently under siege by Israeli forces in a hospital in northern Gaza. “, he said. “Now my great hope is that this nightmare will end.”

Cartography by Aditi Bhandari