Children in Gaza woke up to a quiet, sunny day on Monday, the first morning in 15 months that passed without the sound of Israeli drones overhead.
Displaced Palestinians were seen smiling in their tents in the coastal town of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, with little kids running around and playing. Al-Mawasi was targeted repeatedly by Israeli airstrikes during the war, despite being designated a humanitarian zone by Israel.
“Before the ceasefire, we used to be afraid something would happen to our kids if they left our sight … but now, thank God, the feeling of happiness is indescribable,” Wafa Shallouf told CNN.
While the ceasefire has finally brought a moment of reprieve, it has also allowed Palestinians in Gaza to begin processing and grieving all they have lost.
Other families were cooking over a fire, heating loaves of bread with broad smiles on their faces. A group of kids were jumping around laughing and shouting “we’re going back home; we’re going back north!” “Our kids stayed up all night yesterday! They’re having fun today for the first time,” Abu Mohammed said.
“It’s like we have a new life,” Ziad Al-Amri said while cradling his two little girls. “Yes, we’ve suffered and lost a lot, but the ceasefire is something else. It’s a special feeling … we don’t have to sleep with the sound of drones anymore and we can walk around safely,” he added.
Al-Amri is from Gaza City and is hoping to go back soon. He lamented the fact that his home was destroyed but said all he wanted was to be on his land. “I’ll build a tent over my home if I have to,” he said.
