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Voices after the truce between fears and (faint) hopes

24 January 2025
Pro Terra Sancta
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Voices after the truce between fears and (faint) hopes
Voices after the truce between fears and (faint) hopes

After months of whispered and immediately dissolved hopes, retractions, steps forward and steps back, the truce between Israel and Hamas has been reached: voices from the field tell of contradictory feelings, relief and fear mingle in a painfully human tangle.

Truce

"I am Hussam Ghosheh, head of Cultural Heritage Education at the Pro Terra Sancta office in Jerusalem. It is a pleasure to be able to tell us about ourselves on this day, which we hope will bring justice to this world." Hussam tells of an atmosphere of hope and relaxation, but also of latent worries that are not long in emerging. "This battle may have come to an end, but the resistance of our people and our desire for freedom will never end. This conflict has also laid bare the double standards of the vast majority of nations, a truth that history will not forget."

The voices that are raised today from the territories of Israel and Palestine are firm, aware that the joy of this moment cannot and must not obscure the temporary nature of this measure: "There is everyone's awareness that it is not peace, it is not the end: it is a truce. Hopefully for the best, but it is important to keep our attention high at this time; nothing is over yet," explains Morgane Afnaim, head of the Association's emergency projects in Jerusalem. The relief is fragile, the mistrust is strong from the 15 months of war that have left behind only rubble and blood: we are facing a "significant step forward, which gives hope, but which does not mark the end of the conflict". The parish priest of Gaza himself, Father Gabriel Romanelli emphasizes this well in his speech.

Don't stop talking and acting

Today more than ever it is important not to take refuge in an illusory détente, but rather to continue to talk about Gaza and the needs that have not ceased suddenly: now we need to heal the wounds, intervene with humanitarian aid and increase the commitment to the search for political and human stability. "We urge the free people of the world not to stop speaking out and fighting," Hussam recommends: "We call on you to spare no effort to provide aid to our people in Gaza, supporting children, families, the wounded and refugees both inside and outside Gaza. We remain faithful to the belief that Gaza will rise from the ashes like a phoenix."

"We will continue to provide psychosocial support to families affected by the conflict, especially those with new disabilities acquired due to the conflict," says Fida Sharif, head of external relations at the Atfaluna Association – Advanced Society for Deaf Children. "For 15 months, all we wanted was some form of security and peace; today we want to continue to collaborate with Pro Terra Sancta to bring the people of Gaza back to life."

There has never been anything "simple" in this intertwining of delicate fragile balances, and "simple" is not even the situation in the aftermath of the ceasefire: as well as in Gaza, even in the West Bank the climate is very tense, crystallized in a suspended breath waiting for what will happen. Morgane recounts: "Here in the West Bank these days they have militarized much more: there are many more controls, travel is more limited and also more risky."

The voices

"Our feelings are mixed: joy intertwined with tears and sorrow for all the lives lost in this war. Despite the immense pain and deep wounds left by the fifteen months of massacres, we feel pride and hope in the face of the extraordinary resilience of our people." —Hussam

"The news of the announcement of the ceasefire brought us mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow." —Fida

"The feelings are a bit mixed. Certainly there is a lot of relief for the news and stories coming from Gaza: to hear them happy while they tell how, finally, you can no longer hear the bombings, to see their smiles... On the other hand, this relief is combined with a lot of worry, even fear for what is happening now and what will come next." - Morgane

The voices of those who live in the Holy Land come together in a single voice when they try to express the collective sensitivity in these days following the truce: they all tell of a coexistence of different feelings – hope, happiness, fear, fear, disorientation. Contradictions coexist, despair goes hand in hand with hope, and the tears of the Middle East today are at the same time tears of relief and pain, of hope and irreparable mourning.

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