Palestinians Experience Mixed Emotions Amid Ceasefire Deal

Sun Oct 19 2025 20:25:52 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As a ceasefire agreement and hostage release initiative is announced, Palestinians express a mixture of joy and grief for loved ones lost in the ongoing conflict.

In Gaza, the recent announcement of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange has stirred feelings of both joy and deep sorrow among the Palestinian population. Families are celebrating the prospect of peace while grappling with the heavy losses endured during two years of war. Individuals reflect on their grief and loss, sharing stories of loved ones gone, waiting to return home without them. The complexities of war reveal a painful juxtaposition of hope for the future and mourning for the past.

Palestinians in Gaza have celebrated the agreement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal - but many fear confronting the grief that has built up over two years of war.

This morning, when we heard the news about the truce, it brought both joy and pain, 38-year-old Umm Hassan, who lost his 16-year-old son during the war, told the BBC.

Out of joy, both the young and the old began shouting. And those who had lost loved ones started remembering them and wondering how we would return home without them.

Every person who lost someone feels that sorrow deeply and wonders how they'll return home, he added.

The agreement announced by US President Donald Trump - which still must be accepted by Israel's security cabinet - will see the release of 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 dead hostages in return for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza.

It is the first phase of a 20-point peace plan that could lead to an end to the war - though the latter phases still need to be negotiated.

As these new developments unfold, the sentiments in Gaza remain bittersweet. While hope glimmers with the possibility of peace, the weight of sorrow for past losses lays heavy on the hearts of many.