Amid ruins and recovery, a glimmer of hope for peace in Gaza inspires Palestinians to dream of a stable and united future.

A wave of hope, guarded optimism, and unbridled happiness has run among Palestinians at home and overseas as the much-desired word peace finally starts to ring true following two grueling years of war. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump revealed that Israel and Hamas had agreed on the first phase of his Gaza peace plan — a silver lining in a desolate landscape long characterized by tragedy.

“Praise be to God, the war has come to an end, and we can return home,” Saleh Eljafarawi, a content creator in Gaza, said in a tearful video posted online mere hours after the news was announced. His weathered face shining with relief, he reflected the feeling of millions who had slept fitfully under siege.

The announcement of the ceasefire comes after a devastating war that killed at least 67,183 Palestinians, over half of whom were women and children — a loss that has left generations with scars.

In Rafah, reporter Abdallah Alattar recorded the instant of hope and disbelief as other reporters hoisted a colleague above their heads as he reported the news of the ceasefire live. “Thank God, the American president declared a ceasefire for the first phase of agreement,” he declared among cheers and pandemonium. “But still, there is bombing. We can only hope this agreement sticks — and ushers in final peace at last.”

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