‘Gaza ceasefire means we can bury our dead,’ Palestinians hope

In the dim aftermath of Gaza’s tenuous ceasefire, a dad walks silently through the rubble, carrying the weight of his unbearable loss. Jalal’s first act of respite, he says, will be to bury his son.

Nursing student Khaled, 23, was killed in an Israeli airstrike as his family followed army orders to evacuate Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. With no resources to properly bury his son or respite from bombardment, Jalal has not yet found the space to grieve in the months before the truce announcement.

“The first thing I’m going to do is build my son’s grave and plant him a tree,” he told Dr. Mohammed Ghalayini, an atmospheric scientist who also experienced the horrors of Gaza firsthand.

“People here are waiting to bury their dead, to find their families under the rubble, to mourn,” Dr Ghalayini tells The New Arab. “It’s heartbreaking because even grief feels like a luxury in Gaza.”

The British Palestinian, 45, returned to his neighbourhood in Rimal, Gaza City, in September 2023, hoping to move back permanently. What he found instead was his homeland unravelling under the weight of relentless violence.

“The ceasefire brings some relief,” he says, “but it’s overshadowed by the immense losses and the thought that it could end at any moment.”

The human toll is immeasurable with entire families have been wiped out, Dr. Ghalayini said, who has lost at least 100 relatives.

“My aunt and her family refused to leave their home in Gaza City,” he adds. “They were shot by Israeli soldiers inside their own house. Stories like theirs are tragically common. Every household needs condolences.”

‘Not peace, only a pause’

For many Palestinians, the ceasefire has brought a bittersweet feelings of hope and despair. The temporary halt in violence would allow families to search for loved ones, bury the dead, and salvage remnants of their homes.

Dr Ghalayini received the truce announcement on Wednesday with scepticism. “We’re not jumping with joy,” Dr. Ghalayini says. “This isn’t peace; it’s only a pause.”

He still remembers the seven-day ceasefire from November 2023. At the time, fighting was paused and humanitarian aid was allowed to enter Gaza as Hamas released captives in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners.

But the deal ended after Israeli forces shot Palestinians in Gaza on 29 November, killing two and shelling people on 30 November.

“Every night we stayed till dawn to hear the announcement of a ceasefire extension. But when the truce ended, within a minute, the strikes started again. I imagine we are going to now have the same level of expectation day by day,” Dr Ghalayini says.

The following weeks saw continuous deadly bombardments that left thousands dead and displaced countless families in the enclave.

Overcrowded shelters, decimated infrastructure, and limited access to food and medical supplies have left the enclave on the brink of collapse.

Over 46,000 killed

More than 46,000 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes which have left more than 110,500 wounded and the forced displacement of millions of Palestinians since October 2023.

Israeli has  been brought before the International Court of Justice to face accusations of genocide in a case brought by South Africa, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. 

“Returning to the pre-October 7 status quo is not a solution. That wasn’t peace; it was survival under constant threat,” he adds.

The current siege on Gaza further extenuates the prospect of rebuilding efforts. During the 2014 Israeli assault, a 50-day bombardment left Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, and it took nearly a decade to complete the reconstruction, hampered by the ongoing siege.

The current devastation is far more extensive. “Rebuilding will take decades unless the siege is lifted,” Dr. Ghalayini warns. “Gaza needs to breathe, not be strangled.”

Several Western leaders have faced growing criticism over their handling of the war and ceasefire deal. The international community’s focus on hostage releases has also raised concerns among Palestinians that their suffering will be sidelined once again.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been condemned by some for providing Israel with weapons and diplomatic support throughout the war, was also  lambasted by journalists during a press conference on Thursday.

UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also been slammed over a recent statement welcoming the ceasefire deal. Human rights activists have accused him of ‘pro-Israel’ bias for saying Israelis were ‘massacred’ but Palestinians ‘lost their lives’ in Gaza.

“Western leaders often prioritise the welfare of Israelis over the Palestinians,” Dr. Ghalayini says. “When the hostages are freed, Gaza will likely be forgotten, left to languish under siege in a wasteland.”

Dr. Ghalayini hopes for not only a cessation of violence but also a genuine path toward justice. “If we go back to the situation on October 6, that’s not a solution,” he says. “Gaza needs more than survival; it needs a future.”