At last, the longest-ever-awaited news for the people of Gaza. On 19 January a ceasefire was implemented and the war ended. This one at least. Finally, news that means the bloodshed has been brought to a halt. Finally, news that brings with it, to the people hearing it in Gaza, a kind of congratulations: you survived. Only the dead, the lost and the murdered don’t hear it. The dream of each person who died had been to hear this announcement, to bathe in the tone and rhythm of it. Lucky the man or woman who got to hear it. Lucky the child or adult who can start to think of making their way back to the pile of rubble that is their home. Lucky are those who will wake up and be able to look up at the sky, and watch sea birds plucking fish from the sea, without fear of the gunboats and warships firing missiles straight at them. Lucky are those who will return to a new kind of normality, filled with everyday details rather than emergencies and desperation, those who will have time to breathe and think of tomorrow, maybe even the day after.
Finally, they are able to count their hours in “smiles, not tears”. But they will not be able to count their age in “friends, not years” – so many of their friends are gone.
Content from our partners
