Palestinians 'happy' and 'terrified' as ceasefire due to take effect

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00:00More we'll cross now to Palestinian journalist Shrookh Al-Aila in Deir el-Bala, Central Gaza

00:05Strip. Shrookh, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us today.

00:10Thank you. Thank you for having me today.

00:12So can you tell us more about what the situation has looked like in Gaza since that ceasefire

00:18was announced and then confirmed?

00:21OK, basically, like in the past two days when the announcement of the ceasefire occurred,

00:27like we heard about it in the news, like we saw people celebrating in the streets.

00:33I'm one of those who celebrated this moment, like it's been almost 15 months of being under

00:39this devastation and this genocide.

00:42And to be more accurate in this, that in terms of the feelings of people, they are like having

00:49that mix of feelings that, you know, that, you know, it's been like a long time of being

00:55under destruction and, you know, the threat of being losing our lives at any moment and

01:02also losing our beloved ones, homes, our source of income, the security as well.

01:08And all of these are just factors to make it such a burden on us here in Gaza to celebrate,

01:18to go for the ultimate celebration, actually, of the ceasefire.

01:21But to be frank in this, like people here, once they heard the announcement of the ceasefire,

01:28they felt that too, but other feelings about being happy and being, you know,

01:34terrified at the same time.

01:36Being happy because it feels like there is an end for this madness to stop.

01:41But the other thing that being terrified, because since the announcement of the ceasefire

01:47here on the ground, we saw nothing.

01:50Until this moment, the attacks are ongoing.

01:53The killing is not stopping.

01:56And people somehow are, you know, terrified to lose their, what left of their homes and

02:03also losing their lives in the last very moments of the war here in Gaza.

02:08So we can say that, like we can feel it when it is the time of the implementation,

02:15which is happening tomorrow morning, which is on Sunday.

02:18And there is no doubt that people, all of all of all of the people here are preparing

02:25themselves for this moment.

02:27And then we can believe that it is a ceasefire.

02:30Otherwise, it's just an announcement.

02:33Shrug, you said that Gazans, you know, started by celebrating in the streets when this deal

02:38was announced.

02:39But how do you think that Gazans, starting perhaps with yourself, feel about the details

02:45of this deal?

02:46Are they happy with it?

02:47And then perhaps as a second part to the same question, there's no real political solution

02:53in the deal.

02:53So what do you think that that means for the future of the Gaza Strip?

02:58Basically, the future is foggy for all of us, for like in terms of the personal side,

03:03people even they don't know if we just return like at this moment, we don't know what shall

03:08we do in the next, like in the upcoming minutes, for example.

03:12That is because like especially those displaced people in the south, once they return to the

03:18north and those who are returning to the far south of the Gaza Strip and those who are

03:24like returning to the western sides of the Gaza Strip, they believe that when they get

03:29back, they will find they gonna find nothing waiting for them in terms of homes.

03:34So the most critical part here for the people is the living, basically, not the political

03:41issue.

03:42And I can measure this from my own perspective as well, like what is more important for me

03:46to secure a place to sleep in once I return to my home in the north, because like all

03:52is gone.

03:52So but in terms for the terms of this ceasefire agreement, we are relieved to know that there

04:00are lots of Palestinian prisoners are going to be freed.

04:04Like we have seen this since ages, like lots of prisoners are in the in the jail for, and

04:11especially those with the sentences of life, those who have never dreamed of the moment

04:17to see the sun of freedom.

04:19Same goes to their families.

04:21So I cannot, I cannot tell how they feel, how they are counting the remaining minutes

04:29about this moment of freedom.

04:32So I, we, I can say in general, what is most important for us is just to stop this.

04:39This is number one, like, even though like we believe like we lost our homes, they are

04:45ones, the hospitals, the, you know, the human, the human environment here in Gaza as well,

04:53like because there is no clean water, there is no medical supplies, there is no vacation,

04:58because most of the schools and universities are already destroyed.

05:02And it's been like being on hold for 15 months.

05:06And, and having this ceasefire agreement, what's the most important thing here is just

05:12to stop this killing machine.

05:14This is number one.

05:15Otherwise, like people will get back to what left of their cities and just then, then they

05:22can, you know, predict what they can do.

05:24But like, in general, like, for example, I know nothing about my home.

05:28So once I return, I can decide.

05:30But now I cannot decide anything because I know nothing about my home, for example.

05:34And I'm not alone in this.

05:35There are plus one million people are, you know, like suffering from the same thing here.

05:41It is.

05:43So sorry to cut you off, Shrukh.

05:44It is indeed unimaginable.

05:47I'm sorry for interrupting you.

05:49Please, please continue.

05:51Okay.

05:52And there is the good thing that people who are stuck outside Gaza because of the borders

05:56are already closed, like since the, the military invasion in Rafah.

06:00So the having that, like those patients and those like severe injuries who are in need

06:07for immediate medical intervention, they are counting the seconds to just evacuate Gaza

06:13for treatment.

06:14So it's a relief like to have this, this killing stop and also have a path for those

06:22patients and injuries just to leave Gaza for their treatment journey outside.

06:26And those who are stuck outside of Gaza to, to enter Gaza once again to, to unite with

06:32their families.

06:34Shrukh al-Aila, thank you so much for taking the time to come on the show today.

06:39Here is to hoping indeed that the residents of the Gaza Strip will indeed find peace.

06:45The best to you and your family.

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