Celebrations Erupt in Gaza as Long-Awaited Ceasefire Begins
Palestinians in Gaza rejoice as ceasefire takes effect, with thousands preparing to return home after 15 months of devastating conflict.
Celebrations broke out across the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a long-awaited ceasefire came into effect, bringing an end to 15 months of intense conflict that left much of the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
The ceasefire took effect at 11:15 am local time (09:15 GMT) after Hamas handed over a list of three female captives to be released to Israel through mediators, marking the beginning of a fragile peace.
Om Salah, a Gaza resident, expressed overwhelming joy, saying, “My joy is beyond measure. From the moment they announced the ceasefire, I quickly packed all my things because I am ready to go back to Gaza City. My children are incredibly happy to see our families and our lands again.”
Despite the relief, Salah acknowledged the anxiety that still lingered. “Here, we are always scared, but back home we will be very happy. Joy will return to our lives.”
Many others echoed similar sentiments, with one young Palestinian man saying, “Everyone is happy, particularly the children. Hopefully, the Israelis will not violate the ceasefire in the coming days.” He also voiced hopes of continuing his education, after what he called a “genocide” that had shattered many of his dreams.
Gaza's health workers and rescue teams joined in the celebrations, chanting and raising victory signs in the streets. Reports from Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, confirmed no violations of the ceasefire had occurred since it began. “There have been no bombs, no fighter jets, and no drones. The only sounds now are from celebrations—gunshots and fireworks filling the streets,” he said.
The ceasefire comes after a brutal period of violence, during which at least 47,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 111,000 wounded, according to rights groups. The latest attack on Sunday killed at least 19 Palestinians and wounded many more, making the 15-month conflict one of the most deadly in Gaza’s history.
In Rafah, Palestinians from southern Gaza described the scale of destruction caused by Israeli forces as “massive,” with many unable to recognize their neighborhoods. However, the prevailing emotion was happiness, as people celebrated their survival. “We made it alive out of this war,” one resident said.
While the relief was palpable, uncertainty and anxiety remained, as many Palestinians were still unsure of what awaited them back home. Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud reported families in hospitals were packing their belongings and preparing to return to homes that had been evacuated due to relentless bombings.
Anwar, a displaced man from Khan Younis, said he hoped to return to his home in Rafah, despite reports that it had been destroyed. “I will go there and try to find a place where I can set up a tent with my family,” he said, recounting the months of hardship they had endured in makeshift shelters with inadequate food and water.
Others, like Mahmoud Anwar Abu-Salem, spoke of the devastation that awaited them. “My house was reduced to rubble. Fifty members of my family will have to live in the streets,” he said, describing the destruction of his neighborhood, including schools and the local mosque. “There is no life at all,” he added.
Nour Saqqa, another displaced Palestinian from Gaza City, expressed mixed emotions. While she felt some relief, she also voiced the psychological strain caused by the fragmented nature of the ceasefire. “We are constantly living in uncertainty and anxiety. Even this relief is not fully complete,” she said, as some areas of Gaza, including parts of Gaza City, remain inaccessible.
The fragile ceasefire offers a glimmer of hope for the millions affected by the conflict, but it also underscores the uncertainty that persists for many Palestinians as they return to homes devastated by months of war.