Reena Hamad, Staff Writer
On Wednesday, January 15, a ceasefire was agreed on and Gaza felt its first moment of relief after fifteen months when the ceasefire went into effect Sunday, January 19. After more than 470 days of relentless bombardment, the war claimed the lives of more than 46,000 Palestinians and reduced Gaza almost entirely to dust, yet amidst the rubble, the unyielding spirit of its people continues to shine through.
The initial phase of the ceasefire is set to last six weeks and includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and an influx of much-needed humanitarian aid into the enclave. The agreement outlines a reduction of Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Egypt and Gaza. The deal will also bring the release of 33 captives held in Gaza, most of whom are male soldiers, and 1000 Palestinian prisoners, including men, women, and minors. Displaced Gazans are now allowed to return to their homes, although for most, “home” is now a pile of debris and remnants of the memory of a life that once was.
Huge crowds erupted in the West Bank city of Ramallah at the arrival of 90 Palestinian prisoners, more than sixty of whom were women and several minors. At 1am on Monday, (23:00 GMT on Sunday) the prisoners were brought in Red Cross buses and were finally freed and reunited with their families after being detained without charges. The square was filled with cheering, hugs, and tears of joy.
The war in Gaza has been defined by a level of destruction rarely witnessed in recent history. Over 70,000 tons of explosives were dropped on the enclave’s 360 square kilometers in the first six months alone and Israel’s siege cutting off food, water and fuel turned Gaza into a humanitarian nightmare. Yet despite the annihilation, the resilience of Gaza’s people has become the defining image of this war. Families are now returning to what remains of their homes, searching for the unfound bodies of loved ones in an attempt to grant them a proper burial and begin the monumental task of rebuilding their lives.
In one of the war’s most haunting final moments, hours after the ceasefire was announced, men were going through rubble in northern Gaza when they heard a small voice. After finding a tiny outstretched hand waving through the overwhelming pile, they pulled out three-year-old Asaad Fadel Khalifa from the ruins of his family home. He outlived his mother, father, sister, aunt, and uncle. This image of survival and hope has come to symbolize the invincible spirit of the Palestinian people.
If the world was shown anything in the past fifteen months, it is this: Gaza was never a place; it is its people and an undying spirit.
Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose families have been affected, my own included. The limits of language could never fully capture the remarkable resilience of the Gazan people, who continue to stand tall with unwavering smiles, even after losing almost everything they had ever held dearly. Their perseverance will forever be a testament to their eternal strength and humanity.
Comments