From trauma to justice: Why Palestinians need more than a ceasefire: Opinion

As a Palestinian who has lived through generations of displacement and systemic oppression, I cannot celebrate the ceasefire.

It offers no freedom, independence or security - only a temporary reprieve from Israel's unrelenting violence.

I will never forget the 150 days of genocide I endured before leaving Gaza and narrowly escaping death.

Today, my cousin grieves her seven-year-old son, who was killed along with his father and other family members. Another cousin's wife lost her entire family. Three of my mother's cousins were killed. My brother was injured.

Many friends - Yousef Dawwas, Nadia Abd el-Latif, Mohammed Hamo, Mahmoud al-Naouq and others - were taken from us.

Though my body survived, my heart is still trapped in Gaza.

I have nightmares of bombings and rubble, and my family remains divided. My father and siblings are still in Gaza, while my mother and two siblings are in Cairo, feeling no sense of home there.

This ceasefire does not rebuild our destroyed homes, universities or hospitals. It does not restore clean water, electricity or the lives we had before 7 October 2023.

Read more: From trauma to justice: Why Palestinians need more than a ceasefire: Opinion by Shahd Safi