‘Joy beyond measure’: Celebrations in Gaza as long-awaited ceasefire begins

Palestinians successful Gaza hail ceasefire arsenic thousands commencement preparations to instrumentality location pursuing 15 months of war.

Celebrations person erupted crossed the Gaza Strip aft a much-awaited ceasefire came into effect pursuing 15 months of warfare that turned overmuch of the coastal Palestinian enclave to rubble.

The ceasefire came into effect astatine 11:15am section clip (09:15 GMT) connected Sunday aft Hamas handed implicit a database of three pistillate captives to beryllium released arsenic portion of the woody to Israel done mediators.

“My joyousness is beyond measure,” said Gaza nonmigratory Om Salah.

“From the infinitesimal they announced the ceasefire, I rapidly packed each my things due to the fact that I americium acceptable to spell to Gaza City. My children are highly blessed to spell and spot our families, relatives and our lands,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Here, we are ever frightened and worried, but backmost location we volition beryllium precise happy, and joyousness volition travel backmost to our lives .”

Children question Palestinian flags successful Rafah metropolis aft the ceasefire [Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu]

A young Palestinian antheral said, “Everyone is happy, peculiarly the children.”

“Hopefully, the Israelis volition not interruption it [ceasefire] successful the adjacent fewer days,” helium told Al Jazeera.

He said each helium wanted to bash present was implicit his education. “There person been loads of dreams destroyed during this genocide.”

Gaza’s wellness workers and rescuers were besides seen celebrating successful the streets. Videos shared online, and verified by Al Jazeera, showed respective civilian defence teams chanting anthems and raising triumph signs.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from extracurricular Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital successful Deir el-Balah, said determination were “no violations reported since the ceasefire took effect”.

“There person been nary much bombs, nary much combatant jets, and nary much drones. The lone dependable of gunfire we perceive is from celebrations successful the streets – gunshots and fireworks person been frequent,” helium said.

Before the ceasefire came into effect, Israeli forces killed astatine slightest 19 much Palestinians and wounded dozens of others connected Sunday, taking the full deaths successful the 15-month genocide to astir 47,000. Palestinian and rights groups accidental the existent decease toll could beryllium overmuch higher.

At slightest 1,139 radical were killed successful Israel during the Hamas-led attacks connected October 7, 2023, and astir 250 were taken captive.

‘Need to spell back’

Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud reported that successful the infirmary courtyard wherever helium was reporting from, Palestinian families had started to dismantle their tents and caput backmost to their homes they were forced to evacuate owed to relentless Israeli bombings.

“What we are witnessing present is families excitedly gathering their belongings – immoderate they managed to cod during their enactment astatine the hospital. There is truthful overmuch excitement connected their faces arsenic they permission the infirmary gates,” helium added.

Palestinians marque their mode past rubble arsenic they effort to instrumentality to their homes [Khalil Ramzi/Reuters]

Anwar, a displaced Palestinian antheral surviving successful Khan Younis who did not springiness his past name, said helium hoped to instrumentality to Rafah contempt reports that his location had been destroyed.

“I volition spell determination and I volition spot to find a spot wherever I tin acceptable up a structure to unrecorded with my eight-member family,” helium told Al Jazeera. “I request to spell backmost to my city. I request to spell backmost to wherever I was born.”

Anwar said the months of warfare were similar a “nightmare”. “It was virtually a nightmare, arsenic if we [were] dreaming and past we got up again,” Anwar said.

He said helium and his household lived successful flimsy tents without capable nutrient oregon water, and that prices for goods were “scarily high”.