 "Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Source: AP.")
Joy and excitement gripped across Gaza with Palestinians coming out of their houses and celebrating the ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas, bringing a halt to the 15-month-old conflict.
Qatar, a mediator, announced the deal on Wednesday, but Israeli authorities cautioned that some points remain unresolved.
Cheer, drums beating
The announcement of truce sprung people to joy. Almost everyone at Deir el-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital stepped out and chanted, chanted, embraced, and waved flags with excitement.
‘Nightmare of over a year finally comes to an end’
In Khan Yunis, people gathered in large numbers, with some young men hopping and moving on the shoulders of others, beating drums and cheering in celebration.
Residents in Gaza City, shared a bittersweet moment, as they expressed joy over the ceasefire, but also mourned the many lives lost in the conflict.
“I can’t believe that this nightmare of more than a year is finally coming to an end. We have lost so many people, we’ve lost everything. We need a lot of rest. As soon as the truce begins, I will go to the cemetery to visit my brother and family members. We buried them in Deir el-Balah cemetery without proper graves. We will build them new graves and write their names on them,” a report by Al Jazeera quoted a displaced man from Gaza City as saying.
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More Shorts‘Joy despite everything we lost’
“I feel joy, despite everything we’ve lost," the report cited 27-year-old Abdul Karim as saying.
“I can’t believe I will finally see my wife and two children again. They left for the south almost a year ago. I hope they allow the displaced to return quickly," Karim further said.
Celebrations in Lebanon
The celebrations spread to Lebanon too where people gathered on streets and burst firecrackers as well as chanted religious slogans.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal reached on January 15 involved three key negotiators- Egypt, the US and Qatar. Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy of incoming US President Donald Trump, was also part of the negotiation in Qatar.
Meanwhile, both US President Joe Biden and President-elect Trump took credit for a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages agreement.
However, announcing the ceasefire, Biden emphasised that the final agreement closely aligned with a proposal he introduced in May.
As per the ceasefire deal, the fighting will remain paused for 42 days and the release of 33 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
With inputs from agencies