Palestinians in Gaza have celebrated the agreement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal - but many fear confronting the grief that has built up over two years of war.
This morning, when we heard the news about the truce, it brought both joy and pain, 38-year-old Umm Hassan, who lost his 16-year-old son during the war, told the BBC.
Out of joy, both the young and the old began shouting, he said. And those who had lost loved ones started remembering them and wondering how we would return home without them.
Every person who lost someone feels that sorrow deeply and wonders how they'll return home, he added.
The agreement announced by US President Donald Trump will see the release of 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 dead hostages in return for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza.
It is the first phase of a 20-point peace plan intended to lead towards an end to the ongoing war, but many civilians voice skepticism about true reprieve from the violence that has devastated their lives.
“The factions don't feel our pain. Those leaders sitting comfortably abroad have no sense of the suffering we're enduring here in Gaza,” stated Daniel Abu Tabeekh from the Jabalia refugee camp.
Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, leading to around 1,200 deaths, mostly among Israeli civilians, and displacing countless families in the subsequent conflict, which has seen over 67,000 Palestinian casualties.
Amid the celebrations, many remember loved ones lost and the destruction of homes. Our happiness is mixed with pain, shared Dr. Muhammad Rayan from al-Aqsa hospital, emphasizing the difficulty of reconciling joy with grief.
Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, articulated the struggle of mourning amidst ongoing conflict: You are losing loved ones, but your main focus is to stop what's happening... after the event, the main feeling will be grief, mourning, and a deep sense of loss.
