Palestinian Civilians Express Mixed Emotions Regarding Trump Ceasefire Plan

As soon as Arij al-Farra heard that Hamas had conditionally agreed to the US president's initiative and that the United States had ordered Israel to cease airstrikes in Gaza, her initial response was a flicker of optimism. Moments after that, she experienced an blast. An Israeli aircraft had dropped a munition near her tent in southern Gaza.

While luck saved al-Farra from death, she interpreted the incident as an negative omen for ceasefire prospects in the region.

"I feel like we are trapped in a cycle with little escape. Regardless of Hamas accepts or refuses, we are still in danger. We've seen no reduction in attack intensity, not a single warplane has withdrawn from the airspace," stated the young educator who had been displaced to Khan Younis.

Al-Farra was not alone in her skepticism regarding Friday's announcement that Hamas's conditional agreement of the US president's plan would lead to an end to the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza.

Hamas's agreement to release all captives and relinquish power was hailed by the US administration and much of the international community as a important step toward peace.

However the residents of Gaza have experienced comparable situations previously.

On multiple occasions, the US president has promised that a truce was days away, only for negotiations to suddenly collapse. Israel violated a six-week pause at the start of the year when it unilaterally decided to restart hostilities in March and blockade the region, causing starvation in areas of Gaza, as reported by prominent humanitarian authorities.

"I hold little faith in this deal, because every time we near a ceasefire, an event occurs that changes the direction of plans," al-Farra explained.

Despite these reservations, some could not help but believe that this development might finally bring about an end to the conflict that has claimed over 67,000 Palestinians, injured approximately 170,000 others, and resulted in most of Gaza destroyed.

"I feel hopeful and expect that this time the deal will be more serious than previous ones," said Abu Faris, a 43-year-old media professional living in northern Gaza. "Progress in the truce agreement would be a favorable development. It would satisfy the needs of the local population and provide residents in northern Gaza a sense of hope and security."

Should completely implemented, Trump's proposal to end the fighting in Gaza would be deeply disadvantageous to Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

"We feel a feeling of mistrust since this plan was drafted by American hands and the war itself has persisted with clear American support. The plan obviously benefits Israel's interests and does not include any meaningful provisions for the Palestinians," observed Dr. Ashraf Maghari, a 48-year-old professor at the Islamic University.

However, for the majority of the weary residents of Gaza, neither politics nor the survival of Hamas was the main concern.

"My main goal now is to end the conflict entirely. If Hamas has to make concessions to accomplish that, then it must accept the results of its decisions," said Abu Faris.

He had already experienced the death of numerous of his close relatives in the war, and had been displaced repeatedly, on every occasion returning to find his home further destroyed. He might stand to lose even more if hostilities did not cease quickly, as he was in the northern region, where Israeli bombardment are intense.

Several global bodies, including a UN commission, various humanitarian groups, and leading genocide experts have concluded that Israel has committed atrocities in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegation and states it has only operated in self-protection. It initially began the military campaign on Gaza after militant groups killed approximately 1,200 individuals and took 251 prisoners in an attack on 7 October 2023.

Neither Abu Faris nor al-Farra believed that Israel would engage in talks an conclusion to the war in good faith, nor that it would lead to independence for Palestinians. For al-Farra especially, the idea of disarmament was a worrying issue.

However, if it brought about an end to the almost relentless shelling of their communities, each expressed that the deal would be acceptable.

"Ending the conflict for me is not about abandoning our rights. It is about having a deep breath, reorganising our lives, our existence, our goals and our perspectives," al-Farra concluded.