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00:00More we'll cross now to Palestinian journalist Shrookh Al-Aila in Deir el-Bala, Central Gaza
00:05Strip. Shrookh, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us today.
00:10Thank you. Thank you for having me today.
00:12So can you tell us more about what the situation has looked like in Gaza since that ceasefire
00:18was announced and then confirmed?
00:21OK, basically, like in the past two days when the announcement of the ceasefire occurred,
00:27like we heard about it in the news, like we saw people celebrating in the streets.
00:33I'm one of those who celebrated this moment, like it's been almost 15 months of being under
00:39this devastation and this genocide.
00:42And to be more accurate in this, that in terms of the feelings of people, they are like having
00:49that mix of feelings that, you know, that, you know, it's been like a long time of being
00:55under destruction and, you know, the threat of being losing our lives at any moment and
01:02also losing our beloved ones, homes, our source of income, the security as well.
01:08And all of these are just factors to make it such a burden on us here in Gaza to celebrate,
01:18to go for the ultimate celebration, actually, of the ceasefire.
01:21But to be frank in this, like people here, once they heard the announcement of the ceasefire,
01:28they felt that too, but other feelings about being happy and being, you know,
01:34terrified at the same time.
01:36Being happy because it feels like there is an end for this madness to stop.
01:41But the other thing that being terrified, because since the announcement of the ceasefire
01:47here on the ground, we saw nothing.
01:50Until this moment, the attacks are ongoing.
01:53The killing is not stopping.
01:56And people somehow are, you know, terrified to lose their, what left of their homes and
02:03also losing their lives in the last very moments of the war here in Gaza.
02:08So we can say that, like we can feel it when it is the time of the implementation,
02:15which is happening tomorrow morning, which is on Sunday.
02:18And there is no doubt that people, all of all of all of the people here are preparing
02:25themselves for this moment.
02:27And then we can believe that it is a ceasefire.
02:30Otherwise, it's just an announcement.
02:33Shrug, you said that Gazans, you know, started by celebrating in the streets when this deal
02:38was announced.
02:39But how do you think that Gazans, starting perhaps with yourself, feel about the details
02:45of this deal?
02:46Are they happy with it?
02:47And then perhaps as a second part to the same question, there's no real political solution
02:53in the deal.
02:53So what do you think that that means for the future of the Gaza Strip?
02:58Basically, the future is foggy for all of us, for like in terms of the personal side,
03:03people even they don't know if we just return like at this moment, we don't know what shall
03:08we do in the next, like in the upcoming minutes, for example.
03:12That is because like especially those displaced people in the south, once they return to the
03:18north and those who are returning to the far south of the Gaza Strip and those who are
03:24like returning to the western sides of the Gaza Strip, they believe that when they get
03:29back, they will find they gonna find nothing waiting for them in terms of homes.
03:34So the most critical part here for the people is the living, basically, not the political
03:41issue.
03:42And I can measure this from my own perspective as well, like what is more important for me
03:46to secure a place to sleep in once I return to my home in the north, because like all
03:52is gone.
03:52So but in terms for the terms of this ceasefire agreement, we are relieved to know that there
04:00are lots of Palestinian prisoners are going to be freed.
04:04Like we have seen this since ages, like lots of prisoners are in the in the jail for, and
04:11especially those with the sentences of life, those who have never dreamed of the moment
04:17to see the sun of freedom.
04:19Same goes to their families.
04:21So I cannot, I cannot tell how they feel, how they are counting the remaining minutes
04:29about this moment of freedom.
04:32So I, we, I can say in general, what is most important for us is just to stop this.
04:39This is number one, like, even though like we believe like we lost our homes, they are
04:45ones, the hospitals, the, you know, the human, the human environment here in Gaza as well,
04:53like because there is no clean water, there is no medical supplies, there is no vacation,
04:58because most of the schools and universities are already destroyed.
05:02And it's been like being on hold for 15 months.
05:06And, and having this ceasefire agreement, what's the most important thing here is just
05:12to stop this killing machine.
05:14This is number one.
05:15Otherwise, like people will get back to what left of their cities and just then, then they
05:22can, you know, predict what they can do.
05:24But like, in general, like, for example, I know nothing about my home.
05:28So once I return, I can decide.
05:30But now I cannot decide anything because I know nothing about my home, for example.
05:34And I'm not alone in this.
05:35There are plus one million people are, you know, like suffering from the same thing here.
05:41It is.
05:43So sorry to cut you off, Shrukh.
05:44It is indeed unimaginable.
05:47I'm sorry for interrupting you.
05:49Please, please continue.
05:51Okay.
05:52And there is the good thing that people who are stuck outside Gaza because of the borders
05:56are already closed, like since the, the military invasion in Rafah.
06:00So the having that, like those patients and those like severe injuries who are in need
06:07for immediate medical intervention, they are counting the seconds to just evacuate Gaza
06:13for treatment.
06:14So it's a relief like to have this, this killing stop and also have a path for those
06:22patients and injuries just to leave Gaza for their treatment journey outside.
06:26And those who are stuck outside of Gaza to, to enter Gaza once again to, to unite with
06:32their families.
06:34Shrukh al-Aila, thank you so much for taking the time to come on the show today.
06:39Here is to hoping indeed that the residents of the Gaza Strip will indeed find peace.
06:45The best to you and your family.