By Wafaa Shurafa and Mariam Fam, Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Many Palestinians in Gaza were eager to see an end to the bloodshed, displacement and destruction and were relieved to hear the news that Israel and Hamas agreed a break in their devastating two-year war. But it came with pain from staggering losses and worry about what would come next.
“When we heard the news about the ceasefire, we were happy,” said Ibrahim Shurrab of Khan Younis. “We ask God that happiness may continue for us and for our Palestinian people and that despite the pain and suffering we may return to our homes,” he added, speaking in Muwasi, an area full of tents sheltering Palestinians forced to flee their homes.
Nevin Qudeeh said she has felt the greatest relief since then the war broke out two years ago. She will be even happier, she added, when she can return home.
“We stay on the street.”
Israeli soldiers approach the Israel-Gaza border, seen from southern Israel, Thursday, October 9, 2025, after announcing that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Israeli soldiers approach the Israel-Gaza border, seen from southern Israel, Thursday, October 9, 2025, after announcing that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Israeli offensive in Gaza, launched in response Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused massive destruction, displacement and suffering in Gaza. The war also brought famine to parts of the territory.
In Deir al-Balah, some children greeted the news with whistles, claps and festive chants of “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic expression for “God is great.”
Mahmoud Wadi said he received the news with “tremendous happiness and an indescribable feeling.”
Others in the Gaza Strip struggled with mixed emotions.
“I am happy and unhappy,” said Mohammad Al-Farra. “We have lost many people and loved ones, friends,” family members and homes that encompass much more than bricks and mortar, he said.
It makes you wonder what the next day would be like, he said – or where to even start collecting the pieces. “The situation is very difficult.”
But he said they would overcome future hardships just as they have.
Taghreed al-Jabali, displaced from Khan Younis, shared the mixed feelings.
“We don’t know whether to feel happy or sad,” she said, lamenting the killings and losses of the past two years, including children who missed two full years of school.
“Our sons and daughters were not educated. A whole generation was lost. Two generations were lost, not just one. May God make it up to us,” she said.
Mohamed al-Nashar from Gaza City said people “feel very cautious and we are afraid of what is coming.”
He worried that a ceasefire could be violated at any time, adding that Israeli attacks have continued in areas where the army is still active.
Some were skeptical that Israel would honor a deal, but remained hopeful.
Explosions were seen in northern Gaza on Thursday morning as Israeli attacks continued. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attacks, but said earlier in the day that it had begun preparations for the implementation of the ceasefire and that troops planned to switch to “adjusted lines of engagement.”
Israel and Hamas have agreed to this a pause in their war and the release of the remaining 48 hostages, about twenty of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan by US President Donald Trump – such as whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza. But the sides appear closer to ending the war than they have been in months.
In the Gaza Strip, where much of the territory is in ruinsthe Palestinians are desperate for a breakthrough. Thousands of people fleeing Israel’s latest ground offensive have set up makeshift tents along the beach in the central part of the area, sometimes using blankets for shelter.
In their attack on Israel in 2023, Hamas-led fighters kidnapped 251 people and killed about 1,200, mostly civilians. Most hostages have been released under ceasefire or other agreements.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 67,000 people. The ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but says about half of the deaths were women and children, is part of the Hamas-led government. The United Nations and many independent experts consider their figures to be the most reliable estimate of the number of war casualties.
“We are a people who have suffered the injustice of the (Israeli) occupation and the injustice of the war,” said Samir Moammer, displaced from Rafah. “Education has stopped. People’s lives have stopped.”
He said he prays to God for an end to the war and bloodshed.
“The occupation has taken us back to the Stone Age,” he said. “We ask God to complete this happiness and that people return to how they were before.”
Fam reported from Cairo. Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo contributed to this report.
Originally published:
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