There is no ceasefire in Gaza
Tents of displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi on 30 January 2026 following an Israeli strike
Hassan Herzallah reports in Middle East Eye on 15 March 2026:
A few days ago, I was walking with a friend through the tents in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza. We were heading to a small cafe I have frequented since my roof became fabric.
The ground beneath us was mud, the winter air heavy, and the faces around us heavier still. We were talking about the formation of the US-led “Board of Peace”, in a phase of the so-called ceasefire that is supposedly defined by stability and reconstruction. At that exact moment, the sound of an explosion tore through the air. We stopped talking, and I found myself asking: how is this a ceasefire? How can peace be declared while explosions still echo above our heads?
Since the Gaza “ceasefire” was announced, I have wondered what this word actually means. For Palestinians in the enclave, it was supposed to mean at least a brief moment of stability. Instead, very little has changed.
The first thing I imagined when I heard the word “ceasefire” was leaving our tent. In Mawasi, thousands of displaced families are still unable to return to their homes, amid the ongoing presence of the Israeli occupation in nearby communities. Many people believed a ceasefire would be followed by an Israeli withdrawal. That has not happened.
Some houses are partially intact and technically habitable, but they sit near Israeli “yellow zones” – areas marked by daily violations. Families are afraid to return; the threat of a sudden strike or incursion outweighs the comfort of concrete walls. Many families have chosen a cold tent sinking in rain, rather than a home overshadowed by danger. Mine is one of them.
Ongoing restrictions
We still carry the key to my relatives’ apartment. The door stands, and the walls are still there. But when I recently went back, I heard tanks moving, and explosions close enough to feel in my chest. Many homes have been bombed since the “ceasefire” supposedly took effect. Around 2,500 more buildings have been razed in that period, which began last October.
If a ceasefire means returning home, it has not happened. If it means the destruction stops, that has not happened either.