Ceasefire in Gaza and the road ahead

Palestinians celebrate the ceasefire in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Palestinian journalist from Gaza Afaf Al-Najjar writes for Al Jazeera: “As a Palestinian, receiving this news feels like standing in the eye of a storm, in a moment of ghostly calm surrounded by chaos and destruction. For me, at least it marks the end to the bloodshed, but the fact is, the ones we lost will never return, and these scars will never heal. How would a ceasefire ever change that fact?” – Photo: Bashar Taleb, AFP by Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) After 465 days of Israel’s genocidal campaign, a ceasefire in Gaza has been confirmed. Israel’s violence has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including more than 17,500 children, and displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Gaza’s infrastructure – schools, universities, mosques and churches, and hospitals – has been systematically devastated.Yet Gaza still lives. Despite bombings, injuries, famine and disease, Palestinians remain unbroken. Palestinians in Gaza and worldwide are united, proving that no amount of violence, displacement or occupation can erase a people. While the ceasefire brings a temporary reprieve, the future remains uncertain. Palestinians may now begin rebuilding their homes, and...