Quotes
The feeling of the ceasefire is indescribable,
Hazem said
We thank God that the war has finally been stopped. I hope all the displaced can return to their homes soon,
Abdel Qader saidThe first day of the ceasefire felt strange. Some people were celebrating and happy, while others were crying and remembering their loved ones who were killed in this war,
Shalail saidWe are very happy and relieved that a ceasefire agreement has finally been reached,
al-Ramlawi saidThe halting of the bloodshed is an indescribable feeling. I thank God that I survived this war safely. However, when we returned to our homes, we found nothing but ruin and destruction. I cannot describe the scene in words. I don’t know what to say,
Jomaa Shadi, a displaced Palestinian, told Al JazeeraThe Rafah we knew is gone,
Abd lamentedWe’ll haul water from afar if we must,
Nasim saidIt’s impossible to live here,
he said after finding his neighbourhood inaccessible even by footWe’ve suffered too much in exile. Rafah is home, and we will rebuild – even if it takes a lifetime.”
As one father put itWe will rebuild. We will live.”
As they crossed the cratered roads that crisscross Rafah, some families chantedWe need a gradual, cautious approach. Without basic services, life cannot resume,
one of the workers saidKey areas like the Philadelphi Corridor, which constitutes 16 percent of Rafah’s area, remain off-limits, while large swaths of eastern Rafah are similarly inaccessible,
he addedMore than 42 million tons of debris has been generated, within which is buried human remains and unexploded ordinance (UXO), asbestos and other hazardous substances,
the UN’s humanitarian agency’s (OCHA) report saidThe best thing that happened today is that after 100 days, I was able to visit my family's grave and pray for them,
he shared
I want nothing but their bodies so I can bury them with dignity."
The 28-year-old mother of two continuedThe house was razed to the ground; everything was reduced to rubble,
he said
There is a huge environment of happiness, there is euphoria that the killing will stop, the genocide will stop, that we can live in safety and peace, not seeing body parts and dead bodies,
he says by telephone from Khan Younis
Without the 7th of October, the war would not have happened,
he saysEven though fighting hasn’t stopped, the suffering hasn’t ended,
he says
We endured this entire war, facing the harshest conditions of displacement and bombardment,
Hanan said