Gazans savour end of air strikes, take stock of devastation on day two of ceasefire

FRANCE 24

20 January 2025 at 12:40 pm·1-min read

Gazans displaced by war savoured their first night free from Israeli bombardment on Monday as they took stock of the devastation wrought by 15 months of war and began a grim search for thousands of people still buried under rubble.

For the first time in more than a year, Ammar Barbakh awoke on Monday feeling refreshed after a night spent in a tent – but free from the threat of Israeli attacks.

"This is the first time I sleep comfortably and I'm not afraid," said the 35-year-old from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, a day after a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war took hold.

"We didn't hear any shelling, and we weren't afraid," he told AFP.

Like Barbakh, thousands of displaced Palestinians have headed back to their home areas across the Gaza Strip since guns fell silent on Sunday.

The Khan Younis native pitched a tent on the rubble of his former home. Despite the destruction, he was thrilled to have had a peaceful sleep.

"It's a beautiful feeling, and I hope the ceasefire continues," he said.

Search for bodies

Now attention is starting to shift to the rebuilding of the coastal enclave which the Israeli military has all but wiped out in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Displaced Gaza resident Mohamed Gomaa lost his brother and nephew in the war.

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Search for bodies

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