GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Two months have passed since a long-awaited ceasefire was announced, yet Gaza, that small, tormented coastal enclave, remains trapped in a cycle of crises with no solution in sight.
The noise of weapons has relatively subsided after the scenes of annihilation and the sounds of bombardment once dominated daily life. However, this relative quiet is nothing more than an echo of a life still groaning under the weight of wounds.
Although the sound of war has become somewhat quieter, its scars remain present, and the noise of every detail in a Gazan’s life is still loud. Destruction continues to haunt every corner of the Strip, expanding amid ongoing Israeli violations, while fear and sorrow veil faces long accustomed to living beneath a sky perpetually heavy with danger.
The devastation wrought by the war of annihilation is not confined to homes and infrastructure; it has also seeped into human souls, extinguishing even the faintest glimmers of hope. Amid the vast ruins, people continue to search for a chance to live a normal life, only to find themselves encircled by circumstances that seem endless.
The streets that once pulsed with life have today turned into pale, desolate spaces, where people suffer from the scarcity of water and electricity. Children struggle in makeshift schools to obtain their right to education after the war tore apart their classrooms, while doctors fight to save lives in the midst of a crippling shortage of medicines and medical supplies.
Although hope has found its way into some hearts after the ceasefire, reality has left Gaza’s residents trapped in persistent suffering. These are not simply words of sympathy for Gaza and its people, but a truth documented by Western media and international rights organizations.
A dangerous illusion
The Guardian newspaper says that despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the term “ceasefire” has begun to create a dangerous illusion that life is returning to normal for Palestinians squeezed into the remaining 42 percent of their land behind Israel’s “yellow line.”
The newspaper highlighted the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. “Since the US-brokered ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians in Gaza; according to a UN official, at least 70 are children.”
“The toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza has fallen significantly compared with the preceding two years of war, when on average 90 Palestinians were killed each day, but significant numbers of civilians are still losing their lives,” the newspaper said.
“On average, Israeli weapons now kill seven people a day. That rate of violent death would be considered an active conflict in many other contexts, raising questions about how accurately “ceasefire” describes the new status quo,” it added.
The newspaper quoted Amnesty International as saying that Israel is still committing genocide in Gaza and that the use of the term ceasefire “risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal.”
“Meanwhile, the ceasefire deal as it stands leaves Gaza’s remaining 2.2 million Palestinians hemmed into just 42 percent of their former territory, and locked into dire conditions,” The Guardian said.
Winter has compounded the tragedy in Gaza as recent heavy rains flooded displacement camps, ruining tents and forcing sewage to overflow, raising fears of disease outbreaks, according to the newspaper.
