KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - Gazans in Khan Younis celebrated on Sunday after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas.
It ended 15 months of hostilities that claimed over 46,000 Palestinian lives.
"Despite losing my son who was martyred, praise be to God today we have joy. After a year and three months, praise be to God. We cannot count the martyrs and we cannot count the wounded. The situation was very, very difficult for us. But praise be to God, after a year, God has relieved us and honored us," Sanaa al-Sisi, a resident of Gaza, told Rudaw.
The ceasefire, set to begin early Sunday, was delayed by nearly three hours after Israel announced it had not received the list of hostages to be released.
An estimated 60% of Gaza's buildings have been either damaged or destroyed, according to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data.
Abdulhameed Sharrab is another resident of Gaza. He called on the international community to reconstruct Gaza.
"At this stage, we hope donor countries and parties will contribute to Gaza's reconstruction efforts. The occupation has destroyed everything in Gaza, therefore urgent and immediate efforts are needed for reconstruction so people can return to their homes and dwellings, and so they can feel safe and secure in the next phase," he said.
The war began after Hamas launched an incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,100 and taking around 250 hostages.
