On October 10, thousands of Palestinians began returning home after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. People stretched along the coastal road towards Gaza City, which had been heavily bombed in previous days. Many walked in silence, carrying the fragile hope that their homes still existed after two years of fierce fighting.
Mr. Ismail Zayda, 40 years old, in the Sheikh Radwan area, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his house still standing firm, despite the desolation surrounding it. In the south, in Khan Younis, the city that was once the second largest center of Gaza, people picked up pieces of wood and leftover items in the rubble. Ahmed al-Brim pushed the bicycle carrying scraps of wood, saying that was all his family had left to cook.
After the Israeli army withdrew from some areas, rescue teams found 100 bodies, according to Palestinian health officials. Meanwhile, joy and solidarity are mixed with anxiety as people wonder whether a ceasefire and hostage-taker exchange between Israel and Hamas will really pave the way for long-term peace.
US President Donald Trump expressed optimism that the deal would be maintained, saying he would travel to the Middle East, speak to the Israeli parliament and attend an international conference on Gaza in Egypt. The deal stipulates that Israel will withdraw troops from urban areas within 24 hours, Hamas will release 20 hostages, and Israel will release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that his forces will remain in Gaza to ensure Hamas' dis armament. Meanwhile, Hamas leader in Gaza, Mr. Khalil Al-Hayya, said he had received assurance that the conflict had ended. Gaza residents, after two years of living as refugees, now returning to their flat-roofed homes, but for them, setting foot on their old land is the greatest comfort.
