After 15 months of conflict, an agreement has finally been reached Wednesday afternooon between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting. It had been a long time coming, and a wait that had cost over 45,000 Palestinians their lives. Although peace may be on the horizon, many Palestinians in Gaza, as well as those in Canada feel many mixed emotions.
“So the ceasefire announcements bring a relief. But yet you know, this feeling is mixed with sorrow. I mean, I…I just can’t understand why it didn’t start right away.” says Samah Al Sabbagh, President of Canadian Palestinian Social Association (CPSA) located in London, Ontario.
“We must acknowledge that this ceasefire cannot erase the immense pain and loss endured by the Palestinians in Gaza, and it will not replace the loved ones that we’ve lost.”
Al Sabbagh accknowledged that the ceasefire was only the first step of many, needed to help the Palestinian community recover from the years-long bombardment and trauma many faced.
One thing facing many in Gaza is the choice of whether they should stay and rebuild, or leave all together. Palestine is not an internationally recognized soverign state, which means its citizens are not granted refugee status if they were to leave Gaza. This means they would not be able to return.
“I have an aunt and a cousin who’s in Egypt right now. Who’s been there for more than six months now, stuck, not able to do anything, my cousin is not able to put her, her kids in school. Because Egypt won’t let them put them in schools because they don’t have permanent residence there.”
Al Sabbagh also stated that her community wasn’t done speaking out, urging the Canadian government to step into a bigger role. She hopes the future for Palestinians will be bright.
“I mean, you know, as a Canadian, I do call on my government, on Canada to reflect on its role and adopt a foreign policy that prioritizes human rights, accountability and to invest in the rebuild. Our community will continue to advocate for justice, human rights and dignity for the Palestinians.”
At the time of this article, there have been conflicting reports on whether the deal is still going forward as originally planned. Israel has still not voted on the deal but seems to be willing to accept the terms. The ceasefire is set to be applied this Sunday, January 19, 2025.
