ZIAD IN GAZA

 Everyone hopes the ceasefire will be the first step towards ending the whole situation. For us, the ones who have already evacuated, the main difference is the lack of planes all day, walking without fear of being bombed, the ability to stay out till later in the night. And – for those who don’t have cats in heat – sleeping. I have also noticed that a lot of married women have a chance to visit their parents, as most couples stay with the husbands’ parents.

But fear and sadness still dominate. For many Gazans, this is a break from death. The most important question is what will happen after the ceasefire. Our lives will move to being in danger immediately. Many people have got access to an internet connection and saw others who fled from their own areas, which led to receiving news about losing their homes or loved ones.

I hear a discussion happening outside among members of the hosting family. At 3am yesterday, Ahmad and his older brother left with two cooking gas canisters to secure an early spot to refill them.

Filling gas is the top priority for almost every Gazan family during the ceasefire. They waited for over 14 hours but couldn’t fill them. The discussion today was about whether to go or not. They decided not to. I heard them talk about how undignified the whole situation was, and how they can depend on burning wood, hoping the situation will end soon.

During the ceasefire, there were sighs of relief, but also a lot of misery, tears and fear.