Rafif Asleem

Gaza - The emotions and opinions of women in Gaza are conflicted regarding the recently signed ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. Between their joy at the prospect of peace and the end of death and bloodshed, they remain anxious about the possibility of war returning — caught between hope and fear.

 

The Gaza Truce: Between the Fear of a Trap and the Hope for Peace

Khitam Qwaider says that the current agreement came as a remedy for the hearts of Gaza’s women, who have been exhausted by two continuous years of war — a miracle to save what remains of the city after the massive destruction caused by robotic bombings that erased entire residential blocks. She hopes the agreement will be fully implemented so the besieged city and its residents can finally find relief.

However, she notes that this truce feels incomplete. “At dawn, I heard a sound I could never mistake — the sound of shells,” she says. “They’ve accompanied me for the past two years.” This was followed by heavy gunfire until sunrise. She adds that prices of goods and products remain extremely high, as many essential items have still not entered Gaza — including eggs and meat that both children and adults have been eagerly waiting for. The prices of vegetables, she says, have reached five times their original value.

When comparing this truce to the previous one, Khitam points out that many question marks remain about its seriousness. “Sadness and scarcity still dominate the city and have yet to loosen their grip,” she explains. “In the previous ceasefire, life quickly returned — goods entered, bakeries reopened, and meat became available. But now, many women remain stranded in the south, unable to afford transportation back to the city.”

She fears the truce could be a trap — a ploy to retrieve the last Israeli body in Gaza before resuming the assault even more violently. “What would stop them from dropping tons of bombs on civilians again, now that no prisoners or bodies remain?” she asks. The thought of leaving Gaza haunts her, and she admits that any sense of safety has vanished.

Her fear intensifies whenever she reads statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or U.S. President Donald Trump, who she says might reopen the gates of hell on innocent civilians — especially since Hamas has agreed to surrender what it holds and disarm. “Who will their next war target, if not women and children?” she wonders.

Khitam stresses the need for Palestinian women, particularly those in Gaza, to be part of the negotiation delegations and participate in shaping the future of the Strip and its reconstruction — “because only a woman truly understands another woman’s needs.”

 

Bringing Life Back to Gaza

Nour Krayreh agrees on the importance of involving women in designing Gaza’s reconstruction plans and setting priorities. She emphasizes that women are best equipped to express their needs in housing, food, work, and the laws that concern them — especially after what they lost during the war, amid the collapse of justice and absence of legal institutions.

Unlike Khitam, Nour views the current agreement as a window of hope that has opened for the city — granting life once again to its residents, particularly women and children, by providing safety and stability after years of displacement and constant movement. “For the first time in two years,” she says, “I’ve allowed my children to go play in the only remaining park in the city without fear or anxiety.”

Nour says she feels no worry about the truce despite the challenges in its implementation or the scarcity of goods in markets. She believes this is the final dark phase Gaza will endure before recovery. “The city just needs some time to heal and return to what it once was,” she says. “When that happens, prices will drop, and I’ll be able to feed my children what they ask for.”

Her only wish — shared by most women in Gaza - is for the ceasefire to last, for reconstruction promises to be fulfilled, and for the city and its people, especially women and children, to enjoy a normal life again: safe housing, proper food, education, and good health.