Gaza’s first night without the sounds of Israeli drones and explosions
Palestinians have experienced a night in Gaza that they have not experienced in two years – a night without the sounds of Israeli drones and explosions.
“The only thing hovering over Gaza tonight is hope. No drones. No bombs. No orange sky. Just silence, a sound so rare here, it almost feels strange,” Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, adding that it was the first night in months without air strikes or ambulances racing through destroyed streets.
“Today, the drones have stopped and there’s no more buzzing. We’re safe, our children are safe. We’re gathered with our sons and daughters in peace, it’s good,” one man told Al Jazeera.
In crowded makeshift camps across southern Gaza, families that have been displaced again and again are finally finding a moment of calm.
“Despite all the pain and the things we’ve witnessed over these past two years, I’m happy about the ceasefire,” another woman told Al Jazeera.
“The fear inside us is gone, and now we can see our loved ones, our families, neighbours and friends who are still alive. Since the fighting stopped, I am truly happy. Today, I went to the market and visited my sister, I hadn’t seen her in two years. There is real joy in my heart because I saw her.”
Palestinians once again traverse al-Rashid Street as they return to northern Gaza
Gaza’s al-Rashid Street has been the scene of huge movements north and south over recent months, as Palestinians have repeatedly been forced to flee Israeli attacks.
Now, as the ceasefire takes hold and Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor, which cut the road in two, tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning to the north – this time they hope permanently.
“Once again [displaced Palestinians] are taking the same exact road, the only lifeline for Palestinians now to go back to their homes in Gaza and the northern part [of the enclave],” says Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from the coastal highway in central Gaza.
He adds that the vital highway has largely been destroyed by Israeli bulldozers, making it hard to traverse for those carrying all of their possessions with them
