Gaza Truce Brings ‘Joy and Pain’: Palestinians celebrate deal while confronting immense grief
Story by Susan Mbamah
Palestinians in Gaza reacted to news of a potential truce with a complex mixture of celebration and sorrow, as the prospect of peace forces them to confront the devastating losses of the war.
Umm Hassan, 38, who lost his 16-year-old son during the conflict, articulated this dual emotion to the BBC: “This morning, when we heard the news about the truce, it brought both joy and pain.”
”Out of joy, both the young and the old began shouting,” he said. “And those who had lost loved ones started remembering them and wondering how we would return home without them.”
Mr. Hassan added: “Every person who lost someone feels that sorrow deeply and wonders how they’ll return home.”
The deal, announced by US President Donald Trump and awaiting agreement from Israel’s war cabinet, represents the first phase of a 20-point peace plan.
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This initial phase would see the release of 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 dead hostages in return for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza. Further phases aimed at ending the war still require negotiation.
Amidst the devastation, some civilians criticized the leadership. Daniel Abu Tabeekh, from the Jabalia refugee camp, told the BBC:
”We, the civilians, are the ones who’ve suffered – truly suffered. The factions don’t feel our pain. Those leaders sitting comfortably abroad have no sense of the suffering we’re enduring here in Gaza.”
”I have no home,” he added. “I’ve been living on the streets for a year and a half.”
The war began with Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. The UN also reports that over 90% of Gaza’s housing has been damaged or destroyed.
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For those who endured loss, there is hope for healing. Umm Nader Kloub from northern Gaza, who lost seven relatives, including her sons, said:
”God rewarded us for our patience. God willing, he will help [the negotiators] and allow us all to return to our homes, and for their hostages to return safely. We don’t want war.”
Mousa, a doctor in Deir al-Balah, shared a similar sentiment: “We have lost a lot during the two years of war. The Gaza Strip is destroyed. A difficult time still awaits us, but the important thing is we hope to be safe.”
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, reflected on the psychological toll of the conflict as news of the ceasefire broke over the weekend:
”The worst part in the last two years, is that while you are losing loved ones, your relatives, your friends, your neighbours, you are unable to allow yourself to grieve, or to feel the deep sadness and to process your human feelings.”
“Because your main focus is to try and stop what’s happening.”
He predicted that the full emotional impact is yet to come:
“When our people and our families were being killed, the feeling was: how do you stop this? How do you bury your dead and how do you tend to your wounded? But after the event, which I hope to be very soon, the main feeling will be grief, mourning, and a deep, deep sense of loss. Because what we’ve lost is huge.”
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