GAZA, (PIC)
Amidst an atmosphere filled with anticipation and hope, the residents of the Gaza Strip spent their first night after the ceasefire took effect, following 471 days during which Israel committed all kinds of crimes.
The skies were devoid of warplanes and the sounds of bombs and missiles, replaced by a silence and calm that the residents had not experienced for many months.
Calm and safety
Child Saeed Abu Mahadi stated that he slept deeply for the first time, feeling calm and safe, after the genocide ceased and the tanks and planes fell silent. He added that for the first time in many months, he slept in his bed happily and reassured, no longer fearing bombardment, death, or destruction.
In Khan Yunis, citizen Mahmoud Saad al-Din said that he slept amidst the ruins of his destroyed home after setting up a tent on it. He added that he had never felt as safe or at ease as he did that night, saying, “How could I not feel safe when I sleep in my home, even if it is a pile of rubble? I love it more than all the palaces in the world,” emphasizing that he would rebuild it brick by brick, making it more beautiful than it was before.
He continued, “It is our right to live in safety and calm, without bombardment or killing; this is the simplest right for any human being.”
Saad al-Din appealed to the entire world to intervene in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, to expedite relief efforts, and to rehabilitate the infrastructure, calling for a swift recovery.
Restoring normal life
With the agreement now in effect, the residents of the Gaza Strip began attempting to restore manifestations of normal life. People cautiously roamed the streets of the city, despite the destruction left by the war of genocide.
Entire families spread out, searching through the rubble for their lost belongings, while emergency and relief teams began clearing debris and opening blocked roads.
Citizen Mahmoud al-Danaf affirmed that for the first time since the beginning of the genocide, he was walking in the streets of Deir al-Balah without any fear. He remarked, “We would go out during the war, and every moment was a moment of bombardment; we escaped death numerous times.”
Now, Gazans are wandering in their areas without fear, all hopeful that the cloud will completely lift and that the occupation will end over all Palestinian land.
As the early morning hours approached, markets began to open their doors, and traders returned to display their goods, despite a significant shortage of essential items. Bakeries and gas stations filled with citizens seeking to secure their needs, embarking on the path to recovery, embodying a spirit of resilience.
On the humanitarian front, local and international relief teams rushed to provide assistance to the displaced and affected individuals.