As the ceasefire reaches its seventh day, Palestinians in Gaza are beginning to confront the consequences of 15 months filled with death and devastation.The health ministry controlled by Hamas in Gaza reported this week that the death toll from Israeli assaults has reached 47,283, a figure that continues to rise as additional bodies are uncovered beneath the ruins since the ceasefire began.
Approximately two-thirds of Gaza’s structures before the war have either been destroyed or damaged, while a United Nations damage assessment indicates that clearing over 50 million tonnes of debris left in the wake of Israeli bombardments could take 21 years and cost as much as $1.2 billion.
In spite of this, the ceasefire has permitted many individuals in Gaza to traverse the streets peacefully and sleep without apprehension.
Here, four young Palestinians whose lives have been dramatically altered share their insights on the early days of life in Gaza following the ceasefire on January 19.
“For a long time, we hoped to sleep without the sound of drones and wished to walk the streets in peace, free from bombings and destruction.”
Nour al-Ain al-Shana, a 19-year-old Palestinian student from Gaza, has experienced displacement more than five times throughout the Israeli bombing campaign over the last 15 months and is currently seeking refuge in a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school in Khan Younis.
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Like many young individuals in Gaza, she aspires for the ceasefire to enable her to live the normal life she longed for before the destruction commenced.
“I was a university student. My biggest concern remains how I can continue my education, since there are no universities in Gaza — there’s no education at all,” Ms. al-Shana expressed.
All universities in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli strikes since October 7, 2023, as reported by the Palestinian news source Wafa.
The United Nations states that 95% of all schools in the region have suffered damage or have been completely destroyed.
While she described the ceasefire as a “truly beautiful moment,” Ms. al-Shana remains uncertain about her educational future.
“I wonder how I can continue my education… I want to be a girl like others around the world, I want to pursue my education in this place, without the threat of bombings.”
The ceasefire has granted Ms. al-Shana a sense of security on the streets of Khan Younis, a feeling she has been without since the onset of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
“Finally, I can feel happiness and walk in peace — right now I stand in the street without fear of walking there.”
‘All of this has to come to an end’
While it remains uncertain how long the truce will endure, the ceasefire has inspired hope among many young Palestinians for a future.
Hussam al-Sherif, a 19-year-old Palestinian residing in Khan Younis after being displaced from Rafah, shared how his life has shifted from waking up for university to now waking to find basic necessities like water.
“We wait for more than five, six, or even seven hours to obtain one kilogram of sugar or rice, or sometimes even two liters of water,” he explained.
He remarked that this reflects the “miserable” state of their lives during this conflict.
“And you still wonder why I am so relieved by the ceasefire?”
“Because all of this has to come to an end.”
“That’s why I feel such happiness,” he added.
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Mr. al-Sherif (featured in the video above) remains optimistic that the ceasefire can persist.
“It’s all challenging and life is incredibly tough. But we are Palestinians.
“We know how to navigate these challenges, having faced them multiple times.
“This is not our first ordeal, and we hope it is our last.”
As he walks past flattened buildings, debris, and widespread destruction, Mr. al-Sherif noted how the area he now stands in was once a highly sought-after locale.
“People once referred to it as ‘plugg’ (slang for trendy).
“This spot used to be one of the most beautiful places in Khan Younis city.
“It is filled with schools, stadiums, and clubs.
“And sadly, many homes and houses that once stood here are now demolished.”
Palestinians return to war-damaged homes
The level of devastation in Gaza exceeds anything experienced after previous attacks.
A UN report estimates that it may take until at least 2040 to rebuild the destroyed structures in Gaza.
More than 170,000 buildings in Gaza have either sustained damage or been completely obliterated by Israeli airstrikes, based on UN satellite data.
The report noted over 60,000 destroyed structures, 20,000 severely damaged buildings, 56,000 moderately damaged ones, and 34,000 possibly damaged sites.
Noha Abed, a 28-year-old woman, has returned with her husband and three children to their home in the southern city of Rafah, which now consists of only one livable room.
“Our house was lovely, a one-story structure with three rooms. We have lost everything,” she lamented.
However, after cleaning and arranging their belongings in what remains of the house, Ms. Abed stated that the family “wants to live in it until rebuilding can commence.”
For the time being, her focus is on securing “food, water, electricity, bedding, and blankets” for her family, who had spent about ten months sleeping in a tent further north.
Despite the harsh conditions, she remarked, “this is the first night I can sleep without fearing for my children.”
“The most crucial thing is that the war does not resume,” Ms. Abed stressed.
Displaced Palestinians who relocated from southern Gaza, where they had sought refuge, have set up their tents northwest of Nuseirat.
Young Palestinians determined to stay and rebuild
More than a million people, or 47% of Gaza’s population, are under the age of 18, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
The organization estimates that Gaza’s population has decreased by 6% over the past 15 months, with around 100,000 Palestinians leaving the enclave and nearly 60,000 presumed dead.
Gaza’s health authorities report that at least 47,000 individuals have perished due to Israeli strikes, while the bureau estimates an additional 11,000 people remain missing.
Those who have remained are cautiously starting to consider rebuilding.
Shayma Abualatta, a 21-year-old Palestinian studying computer science and engineering, is committed to living her life in Gaza.
“I want to stay in my country, to remain where I am, to be with my relatives and the people I care about,” she stated.
Ms. Abualatta believes that the only way to regain some control over her life is to continue her studies.
However, during the first three months of the war, she couldn’t even bring herself to open her laptop.
The first time she did, she shed tears.
“I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to achieve something,” she shared.
Ms. Abualatta asserts that the focus must shift to clearing the debris and restoring essential services in Gaza.
“We just need to remove the rubble and set up tents on the sites,” she explained.
“We will start with tents and develop them gradually.”
She is deeply worried about the electricity supply.
Daily, she walks from her current tent to a local charging point to get online.
With peace, she hopes that more solar panels can be introduced into the territory.
Ms. Abualatta is acutely aware of the monumental task that awaits Palestinians in Gaza as they strive to rebuild.
“We need the border crossings to open without restrictions,” she concluded.
“We need everything.”
