After news broke of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, Palestinians across Gaza broke into celebrations. The agreement aims to end the 15-month war in the Palestinian territory.
While Israel cautioned that several points remain unresolved, Gazans were already embracing and chanting in the streets.
Outside Deir al-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, hundreds of Palestinians gathered to chant, sing, and wave flags. Young children and adults alike joined in the celebrations, with some being raised on people’s shoulders to conduct interviews.
Large crowds also gathered in Khan Yunis, with young men surfing through the crowd on the shoulders of others beating drums and cheering. In Gaza City, residents expressed a mix of joy and sadness for those lost in the conflict.
The deal is expected to halt the fighting for an initial 42 days, with 33 hostages held in Gaza released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Hamas sparked the war on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people in Israel and 46,707 in Gaza, according to official figures.
Randa Sameeh, a 45-year-old displaced from Gaza City to the Nuseirat Camp, expressed her relief, saying, “I can’t believe that this nightmare of more than a year is finally coming to an end. We have lost so many people, we’ve lost everything.”
