From a ridge on the western edge of Sderot, the ruins of Gaza loom. Less than a kilometre separates the Israeli town and the outskirts of the Palestinian territory, but after 471 days of war, the other side of the fence resembles a dystopian parallel universe. A few minutes before the long-awaited ceasefire was due to begin on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit Beit Hanoun, a Gaza town now reduced to black smoke and white rubble.
Fifteen months ago, Beit Hanoun was full of orchards and pomegranates. Now, amid so much death and destruction, the ceasefire has raised hopes that the twin nightmares faced by Israeli hostage families and the people of Gaza can finally end. Asma Mustafa, a teacher from Gaza City now living in Nuseirat refugee camp, said: 'I lost everything: my car, my house, my job, my money. I can’t believe I have survived.'
Mustafa has spent 380 days in a tent after fleeing Israeli ground troops. Her story is repeated across the strip: 90% of the 2.3 million population has been displaced, and nearly 47,000 people have been killed. Those who died from hunger, lack of shelter, or healthcare collapse are not yet counted in the official toll.
In Israel, families of hostages have also been counting the days since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 were killed and 250 taken captive. Ofakim, a friend of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, waited in Sderot with a placard. 'I’m overjoyed Emily is coming home. It’s not over until every single hostage comes home,' she said.
The ceasefire was delayed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded a list of hostages from Hamas. Airstrikes killed at least 13 people before the list was delivered, naming Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher as the first to be freed. Late on Sunday, the army shared footage of families watching a livestream of their daughters being met by soldiers, ending 15 months of agony.
