“I just pray that this is not yet another trap to get us out freely and then again start relentless bombing.”
Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire as part of a broader plan to end the two-year war in Gaza. While many Palestinians have taken to the streets in joy and relief, doubts and fears linger that Israeli occupation forces may betray the agreement once again.
“Allhamdulilah, Allhamdulilah” (Praise be to God), echoes through Gaza’s shattered streets, a chorus of faith rising from the rubbles of Gaza Strip since Thursday morning.
Ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was agreed bringing relief to a Strip battered by two years of relentless Israel’s bombardment.
After 733 days of destruction, mass killings, displacement, and humanitarian crises, residents poured into the streets.
Footage coming from Gaza shows people singing, dancing, and crying in relief. Children, faces bright with rare happiness, sing and chant in front of their tents.
But amid the celebrations, voices of caution remain.
Dr. Ahmed Al Farra, head of the paediatrics and maternity department at Nasser Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, has witnessed firsthand the devastating toll of the war on Gaza’s children. Speaking to Doha News after the ceasefire announcement, he shared a heartfelt hope: “We hope they will not do treachery. I hope they will not betray us again”.
This morning, as the ceasefire was announced, hundreds of displaced Palestinians sheltering around the hospital were seen celebrating alongside patients who stepped out into the streets to join in the joy.
“They are celebrating, they feel free to walk and gather outside the hospital more. As I said, I am just hoping it will last this time” he said.
Although many are celebrating the ceasefire announcement, Aya Shamaly, a Palestinian displaced with her family to southern Gaza, says the bombing has not stopped.
“Believe me, there is still targeting and bombing. We all can hear it,” says Aya.
As Aya and her family cautiously savour a moment of relief, their eyes stay lifted to the sky, wary of what might come next.
“I just pray that this is not yet another trap to get us out freely and then again start relentless bombing,” Aya fears.
It wouldn’t be the first time the ceasefire was violated. Israel has previously broken fragile truces, resuming attacks even amid negotiations. On 2 March, it blocked all humanitarian aid to Gaza after once again shattering a peace agreement and restarting its bombardment.
In Deir Al-Balah, many Palestinians gathered, singing and dancing, chanting “Praise be to God” in celebration, yet beneath the joy, a lingering fear that it might be short-lived.
“I am just afraid that handing over the live prisoners might lead to a breach of the truce, but according to what’s being said, there are international guarantees, God willing,” said one of the residents.
Among the residents of Deir Al-Balah, the younger ones cling to hope that the ceasefire will last and bring back a sense of normalcy. One student shared her longing for a future interrupted by war: “I’ve suffered a lot and seen so much. I’ve missed two years of school, the 10th and 11th grades. Now, as I enter my senior year, God willing, with the ceasefire, I will take my final exams and hopefully be among the top of my class,” she said.
Abd Elhkeem Abo Riash, a photojournalist from Deir Al-Balah who has witnessed the war’s toll up close, shared his feelings about the ceasefire, saying he is relieved but with cautious optimism. “People we spoke to were relieved too. Not very happy, but relieved that the war has ended. It’s all about the bloodshed stopping. This is what matters most.”
Israel’s assault on Gaza has claimed over 70,000 lives, with tens of thousands more injured or missing, leaving the region in deep suffering.
Yet, on Thursday morning, just two days after the anniversary marking two years since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, the streets shimmered with a fragile glimmer of hope that the bombs might finally stop falling on their lives.
