What Palestinians want if there's a ceasefire tomorrow
Palestinians in Gaza are desperate to see the end of hostilities there, particularly ahead of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting that starts this year on 10 March.
Yet even as they pray for an easing of their present plight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently shared a vision that would further dispossess Palestinians and further deprive them of their rights.
Middle East Eye asked survivors in embattled Gaza about what they hoped for after the war. Most had given it little thought, saying that that day still seems far away. In the meantime, they are taking things one day at a time.
"I hope for the best, which is the announcement of an independent Palestinian state, but also expect the worst, which is blockade again, expansion of illegal settlements, and no meaningful steps to ensure the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state," aid worker Tarneem Hamad told MEE.
At the same time, "I expect the global community to rally behind Gaza, helping in rebuilding infrastructure, hospitals, schools, houses; providing humanitarian aid; and facilitating economic recovery," Hamad said.
The US has pushed the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to prepare to take charge of Gaza, replacing Hamas's de facto control of the Strip, after the war. PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his government resigned in late February in a move towards kick-starting reforms to the authority, with the ultimate goal of establishing a unified post-war Palestinian state.
The United Nations continues to argue for a two-state solution as the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a concept backed by many western and regional countries. In reality, this option appeared dead long before 7 October, and that is even truer today. The far-right Israeli government has repeatedly rejected such calls.
Less consideration has been given as to what Gaza's population of more than two million people believe their future should look like after the war.
Palestinians in Gaza say they want the same thing as other people around the world: to be able to live with dignity.
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What Palestinians want if there's a ceasefire tomorrow
