'Unsure' About Ceasefire

'Unsure' About Ceasefire
Several young people in Gaza are not sure what to expect in the coming days, but they're beginning to rebuild

From: Mercy Corps



(Jan. 18) Editor's note: Youth involved in Mercy Corps' Gaza programs are sending these updates -- mostly via text message -- to Mercy Corps coordinators outside Gaza.

Ziad. © Mercy CorpsZiad: "It is quieter in the area where I have been staying for the past two days, yet we can feel that people are worried and anxious. I am very sad because Sheikh Radwan graveyard was bombarded and that is where my father is buried. I don't understand why they bombed the graveyard? What did the dead do?

"I support a cease fire. People are tired and the past few weeks were really tough, so it is the right decision.

"People who know me say that I am an optimistic person, but now it's not that I am not optimistic, it's just that I am not comfortable at all. We will have to wait and see how things go. After 23 days of war, I cannot foresee how things will be in the future, how our life will continue and such. I have many questions and I guess that in a few days these questions will be answered."

Fairouz: "The situation is much better. We are still staying with another family. We are worried about our home though. My parents went to our home today and found out that there is some minor damage. The telephone lines and cellular network are not working properly, so I could not reach my friends. Yesterday, I knew that a girl from my university died along with her mother and three sisters and the father was injured. It's so sad.

"After the ceasefire, I am optimistic. We hope this war ends really soon."

Hothayfa: "The doors and windows in our house are broken, and there are bullets in the walls. My father, brothers and I are cleaning up the house and trying to fix things because we cannot live in it without windows or doors.

"The question is: is Israel's operation over? We were not expecting the cease fire now, because we heard that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will be continuing its operation. The Palestinian groups agreed to a ceasefire, but the Israeli soldiers are still present in Gaza. The Israelis probably made up the ceasefire story in order to show the international community that they have the will to end their operation. I still cannot make up my mind. This week is a trial period. We hope it remains quiet."

Mercy Corps works in dozens of countries to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since the 1980s, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians build a more peaceful and hopeful future by connecting teenagers in Gaza to their peers in U.S. high schools, helping people with disabilities amplify their voice in society, and giving enterprising young women in the West Bank the opportunity to learn marketable new skills.