Ceasefire or empty promises? Gaza’s displaced speak out on Trump’s plan

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – A wave of cautious hope spread through Gaza when United States President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan was announced.

Many feared Hamas might reject it, but the group agreed. Yet the short-lived celebrations faded as Israeli bombings continued, leaving residents confused and uncertain about what the deal would actually mean for their lives.

In their displacement tents and ruined homes, Palestinians wonder: Can Trump’s ceasefire plan actually end this war after two years of blood and destruction?

Optimism, pessimism and numbness

Abdel Rahman Abu Warda, 37, holds on to hope, especially because Hamas responded positively, agreeing to release Israeli captives and hand over authority in Gaza.

To test his optimism, he headed north on Sunday morning to al-Nueiri Hill in central Gaza, northwest of the Nuseirat refugee camp, to check how many people were moving south.

He was determined, walking half of the 6km (nearly 4 miles) and hopping on a horse-drawn cart for the rest of the way, a journey of about an hour and a half, but it was worth it for him.

“The movement from north to south has nearly stopped,” he said with a smile.

“This shows people are hopeful for a solution, and God willing, we may all return north soon.”

But not everybody in the Nuseirat camp shares Abu Warda’s optimism.

Mohammad Abu Dahrouj, 44, has gone from hope to frustration and pessimism about the war.

“At first, I was surprised by Hamas’s positive response. I honestly didn’t expect them to agree, but when they did, I was relieved and hopeful.”

That faded as Israel continued attacking Gaza, killing 70 people on the first day after Hamas announced its acceptance of the proposal.

“Watching Israel blatantly ignore Trump’s call for a ceasefire and keep bombing Gaza says a lot about what’s coming next,” he said.

“I think they’ll keep pounding Gaza, maybe even more fiercely, once the captives are released.”

Caught between the two sides are those like Sanaa al-Abed, a 40-year-old mother of seven who told media she doesn’t listen to the news because she no longer trusts anything.

She heard brief celebrations on Saturday night as displaced people rejoiced at hearing that Hamas had agreed to parts of the Trump proposal.

“At first, I thought it meant the ceasefire had already started,” she said, adding that when she found out it was just talk so far, her scepticism took over.

“See? A bombing,” she said as an explosion echoed nearby in central Gaza.

“Since when has our opinion been heard? We have no opinion, no respect, no dignity, no consideration,” Suleiman Bakhit, 72, said when asked his opinion.

“We’re just waiting and watching,” he said. “People are even afraid to feel hopeful about anything related to the ceasefire, but we still pray for it.”

‘Another kind of occupation’

While celebrations started and stopped in Deir el-Balah as optimism fluctuated, people also shared whatever information they had about what the Trump proposal actually said.

Abu Dahrouj singled out the clauses that stipulate disarming Hamas and bringing international forces to govern the Gaza Strip.

“It looked like Hamas had no choice but to accept the deal,” he told media. “This is another kind of occupation, not a deal to end the war.”

“If we look at the plan, … 20 clauses, all of which are not in our favour,” Abu Warda said.

Former British Prime Minister “Tony Blair as ruler, a joint international force, entry of aid,” he chuckles wryly.

“We all know these are lies and won’t serve us. All we want is to cling to the safety of life – that the war ends by any means.”

Bakhit was so sure the plan would not serve the Palestinians that he didn’t pay much attention to discussions between people in the camp.

“Negotiations and deals over our fate only aim to please Israel,” he said, adding that he is suspicious of how easily Israel seemed to agree to the plan while still bombing Gaza even as discussions about implementing its initial stages are to be held this week.

“How can we trust Israel’s commitment when they keep waging war?

“I fear it’s just ink on paper. They’ll take back their [captives] and carry on with the war,” he said.

Al-Abed said she was going to withhold her judgement until she saw the war actually end.

“They say the plan isn’t in our favour, but continuing the war isn’t in our favour either,” she said.

“I’m not really optimistic about anything, … but I’m still glad Hamas accepted the deal, no matter what.

“I wish the war would end in any way. Even if the blue jinn came to solve it, I don’t care. The important thing is to breathe a normal life.”

In the meantime, displacement

Bakhit has been displaced from his home in Nuseirat for two years. Al-Abed has been displaced from the Maghazi refugee camp for a year and a half. Abu Dahrouj has been displaced within Deir el-Balah for a year, and Abu Warda and his family were displaced from northern Gaza to a relative’s tent in Deir-el-Balah eight days ago.

“Two full years, no one moved for us. And here we are living in the streets,” al-Abed said, pointing to her makeshift shelter made with rags and sticks. “Winter will come without us having blankets or tents.”

“I can’t afford a tent. They cost more than $1,000,” Abu Warda said tiredly. “We live in a tent with one of our relatives after we spent two days on the street. I also couldn’t afford [$1,000] to rent a truck to move our stuff.”

“The war destroyed all my dreams and ambitions,” said the doctor, who had been working with the Ministry of Health and medical organisations.

“I was a doctor working and helping people. Today, I can’t even support my children. Our dignity was buried with our homes.”

Abu Dahrouj lost his three children when their home in the az-Zawayda area of Deir el-Balah was bombed.

“I lost all my children last October: Ahmad, 12; Layan, 7; and Masa, a year and a half, in a strike that targeted our house directly. My wife and I survived by a miracle,” Abu Dahrouj said sadly.

“Just two weeks later, my extended family’s home was bombed, and I lost my mother, father, brothers, sisters and children. Almost the entire family – 19 people – were killed in that strike.”

Bakhit’s eldest daughter, Bushra, 42, was killed three months ago when she tried to collect food at an aid distribution site run by the US- and Israeli-backed GHF.

The elderly man pointed at the tattered tents around him.

“Is this a life befitting human beings? We have been left in this hell for two years while the world is still deliberating on just ending the war. Are we beasts?

“Is our blood so cheap that everyone delays taking a decisive decision to end our suffering?

“Still, we can only wish for it to stop. Our lives have been destroyed, our homes destroyed, our youth’s future lost in this war, and yet they are worrying about whether Tony Blair will rule.”

Abu Dahrouj agreed: “This plan is only in Israel’s interest. Maybe at the start, it will go ahead, but in the end, things will falter.”

“I just lost my bet with my friends,” he said with a laugh. “We were guessing how Hamas would respond. Some of them believed the deal would go through while another friend and I bet it wouldn’t.”

Abu Dahrouj and his friends had bet on “a pack of Marlboro cigarettes [100 shekels, or $35, per pack], a tray of sweets and an invite for tea at a cafe”.

Yet Abu Warda still holds on to hope.

“I have hope that the war will stop and we will rebuild everything we lost.”