At a soup kitchen in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Friday, hundreds of Palestinians lined up for food for what they hoped would be the last time.
The ceasefire and hostage release deal, due to take effect on Sunday, is expected to see an influx of aid into Gaza and allow Palestinians to return to their homes across the enclave, including neighborhoods badly damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the north.
Nihad Abu Qeinas, who was displaced from Gaza City, told CNN on Friday he has been coming to the soup kitchen with his family for over a year. “I really hope the ceasefire lasts, so we can all be happy and have peace of mind […] I don’t want to have to come here every day anymore,” the 60-year-old said.
After receiving evacuation orders to leave Al-Nasr in Gaza City last year, Saeed Darwish arrived at Deir al-Balah seeking shelter. “We came starving, and this soup kitchen answered our calls. For a year, they’ve been doing their best to feed us, with rice, pasta, and other dishes,” he said.
“I pray to God that this will be the last day we need to use this kitchen and that we can eat comfortably in our homes,” Darwish continued. “Yes, my house has been destroyed, and we lost six people from our kids and siblings, but thankfully we are resilient, and we will go home soon.”
The ceasefire-hostage deal outlines that humanitarian aid into Gaza will be ramped up to 600 trucks per day. A United Nations humanitarian official warned Thursday this would be “only a start” in addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
