‘We lost a lot’: Gaza cautiously awaits ceasefire as bombing continues | Israel-Palestine conflict news

Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Palestine – Palestinians in the Gaza Strip awoke to the sound of shelling again on Thursday, adding fear to their joy at news of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas last night.

They hope the announcement will end Israel’s 15-month war, which has left more than 46,700 Palestinians dead and thousands more missing. But their memories of the war will not be erased soon.

In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, many people have fled their homes and been displaced from other parts of the enclave following Israeli attacks or facing Israeli orders to leave or bombardment.

They fought for survival. Many have lost their nearest and dearest and feel lucky to be alive. But what will happen next is not yet known. The devastation in Gaza is obvious, and many pitfalls lie ahead if Israel is unwilling to leave the area alone.

Al Jazeera spoke to people in Deir al-Balah, a day after the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, as they await its implementation on Sunday. Here’s what they had to say:

More trauma is yet to come

Nahed al-Wer is a psychiatrist who was displaced from the Bureij refugee camp with her family at the start of the war after her home was destroyed. He now works at the Deir al-Balah clinic and also volunteers his time to meet with people seeking psychological help for the trauma they experienced during the war.

It feels so good. We are very happy. It’s like a holiday. We hope this feeling lasts forever and we never see bloodshed again. We hope we never see this again and never have to go through this experience again. We all lost people. I lost my brother, my nephew, my other nephew and another relative.

I am concerned that we will see further escalation in the coming days. This is the nature of Israeli politicians. Before signing a cease-fire or before a cease-fire comes into effect, they are constantly trying to increase the killing. Killing speed is increasing. In 2014, on the last day of the war, I lost my sister and her children.

There is still great concern that the Israeli leadership may renege on the agreements, and the rate of killings has increased in the last two or three days, so I pray to God that this does not happen.

After the war, there will be a large number of people suffering from very severe psychological conditions – tensions, phobias and fears. It is possible that these conditions and psychological fatigue may worsen and go beyond depression.

These people should be treated. I even had an incident with an elderly woman whose son passed away a few days ago. He suffered from serious mental health issues and began psychiatric sessions to help with his condition.

“We lost very dear and valuable people”

Yasmeen al-Helo is a mother of one originally from Shujayeya, a suburb of Gaza City. He was transferred to Deir al-Balah a year ago.

Honestly, I can’t express my feelings in words. It was a great joy, I cried and was happy. I cried for what happened to us. It was not easy and there is a lot of sadness. People have wounded hearts. The experience was heavy and very difficult.

We lost people. Some went missing, some were subjected to (Israeli) occupation, and some were martyred. In general, I am happy that the bloodshed and violence will stop, but at the same time I am sad that we have lost so many dear and valuable people. But it happened and all you can do is pray to God.

God willing, the ceasefire will not be broken and will continue this time as well. To be honest, I would have preferred an immediate truce, because these two difficult days have been worse than the whole of last year. They want to intensify the bombings and the frenzy they are doing.

I hope to be treated abroad

Mohammed al-Mudawi Khan was receiving physical treatment at al-Amal hospital in Yunis for a spinal injury that paralyzed his legs, and he said he was taken by Israeli forces and accused of participating in the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks. Southern Israel, which he denies. He explains that in January 2024, he was detained for almost a month and was beaten during this period.

The treatment was very bad. As a result of the carelessness of the doctors, I developed ulcers. I was not allowed to move. When I was laid on my right or left side, they didn’t turn and that’s why I got sores. My hands were bruised from the constant pressure of the handcuffs.

My health deteriorated due to malnutrition. They did not feed us. Our eyes were closed. We didn’t know what they made us drink. They even cut my legs to see if I could feel them. There was no care to bandage him when he began to bleed. I hope that now that I am disabled, I can be sent abroad for treatment.

I am now optimistic and hopeful about the ceasefire. Yesterday I laughed for the first time since the war began. This moment is wonderful, especially for my children. May God bless the souls of the martyrs.

“We’ll Never Forget”

Saleh Aljafaravi is a 27-year-old journalist who was displaced from northern Gaza during the war. He became famous for his videos documenting the war in Gaza and says he has received numerous threats from Israel because of his work.

It was one of the worst experiences of my life. All the scenes and situations I experienced during these 467 days will not be erased from my memory. We will never forget all the situations we faced.

However, with the end of this war, today’s feelings of joy make us forget what we went through, at least a little. May God preserve peace and tranquility for us in the Gaza Strip. Even if our homes are destroyed and nothing is left of them after the war is over, we will return to the northern Gaza Strip. God willing, we will rebuild them.

We paid a high price in this war. We lost our colleagues, family and friends. We were deprived of the simplest things imaginable. We were deprived of being with our family for 467 days.

To be honest, I lived in fear every second, especially after hearing what the Israeli occupation said about me. I lived life without knowing what the second second would bring.

There are still two days (of ceasefire) and inshallah Allah will make things easier for us.