“Joy beyond measure”: Celebrations in Gaza as the long-awaited ceasefire begins | News of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Celebrations broke out across the Gaza Strip after The long-awaited ceasefire The decision entered into force after 15 months of war that turned a large part of the coastal Palestinian enclave into rubble.

The ceasefire went into effect at 11:15 am local time (09:15 GMT) on Sunday after Hamas handed over a list of wanted persons. Three female captives To be released as part of the deal with Israel through intermediaries.

Umm Salah, a resident of Gaza, said: “My joy is immeasurable.”

“From the moment they announced the ceasefire, I quickly packed all my bags because I was ready to go to Gaza City. My children are very happy to go to see our families, relatives and lands,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Here, we are always afraid and anxious, but back home we will be very happy, and joy will return to our lives.”

A young Palestinian said: “Everyone is happy, especially the children.”

“I hope that the Israelis will not violate (the ceasefire) in the next few days,” he told Al Jazeera.

He said all he wants to do now is complete his education. “So many dreams have been destroyed during this genocide.”

Health workers and rescue workers were also seen in Gaza Celebrating in the streets. Videos shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed several civil defense teams chanting chants and raising victory signs.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said from outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah that “no violations have been reported since the ceasefire entered into force.”

“There are no more bombs, no more fighter planes, no more drones. “The only sound of gunfire we hear is from the celebrations in the streets, and gunshots and fireworks were frequent,” he said.

Before the ceasefire comes into effect. Killed by Israeli forces At least 19 more Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Sunday, bringing the total death toll in the Strip. 15 months of genocide To nearly 47,000. Palestinian and human rights groups say the actual death toll may be much higher.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and about 250 people were captured.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khudari, reporting from Khan Yunis, said that Palestinians from the southern city of Rafah described the destruction caused by Israel there as “huge.”

“They didn’t even realize where their neighborhoods were,” she said.

“However, people are very happy. You see everyone smiling, you see everyone cheering, and most of the Palestinians say: ‘We have been revived from this war.’”

“need to go back”

Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud reported that in the hospital courtyard where he was reporting, Palestinian families began dismantling their tents and returning to their homes, which they had been forced to evacuate due to the continuing Israeli bombing.

“What we are witnessing here is families excitedly collecting their belongings – whatever they were able to collect during their stay in the hospital. There is a lot of excitement on their faces as they leave the hospital gates,” he added.

Anwar, a displaced Palestinian man living in Khan Yunis who did not give his last name, said he hopes to return to Rafah despite reports that his home has been destroyed.

“I will go there and look for a place where I can pitch a tent to live with my family of eight,” he told Al Jazeera. “I need to go back to my city. I need to go back to the place where I was born.”

Anwar said that the months of war were like a “nightmare.” “It was literally a nightmare, as if we were dreaming and then woke up again,” Anwar said.

He said he and his family are living in flimsy tents without enough food or water, and that the prices of goods are “frighteningly high.”

Nour Al-Saqqa, a displaced Palestinian woman from Gaza City, said she feels “a huge mix of emotions.”

“We have not been able to fully relax, not only because of how stressful these 15 months have been, but also because of the ceasefire itself – and the fact that it was piecemeal rather than announced and implemented all at once.” He told Al Jazeera in Rafah.

Al-Saqqa said that not allowing her and other Palestinians from Gaza City to return to their homes in the first phase of the ceasefire causes “more psychological pressure” for residents.

“We are constantly living in a state of uncertainty and anxiety that even this relief is not quite complete.”