“We don’t want a partial ceasefire, although it is important in these times. We want a complete halt to the Israeli war.”
“It never crossed our minds that the first humanitarian ceasefire would come after 47 days of war in the Gaza Strip. In the Israeli war of 2014, the first ceasefire was on the 19th day of the war. However, this is the toughest and most painful war for the residents of the Gaza Strip,” Diaa Jurwan, a resident of the Gaza Strip, told The Palestine Chronicle.
“We expected the first ceasefire in the early days of the war, but for this ceasefire to come on the 47th day of the aggression, indicates the injustice of the occupation and the international community’s abandonment of the innocent blood shed throughout Gaza.”
Not Long Enough to Bury Our Loved Ones
“During this ceasefire, we will try to bury our loved ones, collecting the remains from the roads and streets and from under the rubble of destroyed homes,” Palestinian Journalist Naji Asliem told The Palestine Chronicle.
“Forgive us, as the families of nearly 15,000 martyrs cannot open homes for condolences, nor can they receive sympathizers. Time is very limited, and we can barely count how many of our loved ones have been killed, and we can barely find time to bury and honor them in their graves,” Asliem added.
“So many people were killed, but what sustains us in Gaza is that in this ceasefire, our child prisoners and our women prisoners will be released from the prisons of the Israeli occupation. We are happy for their freedom, and we hope that victory for Gaza is near, and the freedom of the people of Gaza is near by lifting the complete siege on them.”
Will the Truce Bring Back Our Beloved Ones?
After the announcement of the humanitarian ceasefire, Gaza resident, Abu Yusuf Al-Muqeed asked, “Will the 4-day ceasefire bring back our beloved ones? Will it restore our destroyed homes? Will it bring life back to Gaza, even for a brief period?”
“We don’t want a partial ceasefire, although it is important in these times. We want a complete halt to the Israeli war. Isn’t 47 days of war enough for the world to watch us and see the waterfall of blood everywhere? We want the siege lifted. We want a decent life for the people of Gaza,” al-Muqeed told us.
An End to the War and the Breaking of the Siege
Hajja Um Mohammed Ghareeb called for an end to the war, saying, “We want the war to stop. The people of Gaza do not seek a simple solution, such as a brief ceasefire for a few days. We want a halt to this war. We want to stop the violent Israeli shelling of every home in the Gaza Strip. We want to stop the bloodshed.”
“We in Gaza are pleased with the release of child prisoners and female prisoners from the occupation’s prisons. We want everyone to work towards liberating Gaza from this ongoing oppressive siege that has lasted more than 17 years. We want to work towards restoring life to every home and family,” she added.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an agreement on a ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces for a period of 4 days, which began Friday, November 24, 2023, at 7 am.
Under the agreement, 50 prisoners, including women and children, in Gaza will be released in exchange for the release of 150 children and female prisoners from Israeli prisons, along with an increase in the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Abdallah Aljamal is a Gaza-based journalist. He is a correspondent for The Palestine Chronicle in the Gaza Strip. His email is abdallahaljamal1987@gmail.com
