An Endless Nightmare: Gaza’s Ceasefire Never Came

The Israeli occupation has a history of breaching agreements intended to end assaults. Whenever a ceasefire is signed, Palestinians hope that Israel will honor it, as they have experienced years of Israeli attacks on Gaza. However, Israel repeatedly confirms the opposite.

On March 18, Israel violated the ceasefire agreement signed with Hamas on January 19 to end its assault on Gaza. Although the ceasefire was fragile, Hamas adhered to it. Every time I hear people in Gaza discuss the ceasefire, I often hear them say, “Israel will never uphold it” or “May God let it last.”

They know, deep in their hearts, what Israel is, has been, and will continue to be: a violator of oaths and a bloodthirsty occupier.

The Night Israel Resumed Genocide

The clock read 2:10 a.m. when we woke up in terror to the deafening sound of airstrikes and artillery shelling. A violent noise shook everything around us. It wasn’t a nightmare; it was real. I told my husband that I had just dreamt of Israel attacking Gaza again. This wasn’t the first time I had dreamt of such an attack. I, like all Gazans, have psychological trauma from the repeated Israeli assaults. We constantly hallucinate and live in fear of any future attack.

We were asleep, yet death followed us at every moment. The house and everything inside shook violently. It was impossible for anyone, whether children or adults, to stay calm. It was terrifying.

I opened my phone to see what was happening. Israel was carrying out airstrikes across Gaza—north, south, and central. I called my mother in the central Gaza Strip, and she said, “Am I dreaming? The war is back! Please, God, have mercy on us.”

My aunt in Rafah, in southern Gaza, said the sounds of the bombings tear the heart apart. I told her it’s the same here in the north. Soon after, the Israeli military announced the resumption of war.

But why? As I said, this is Israel’s true nature. This is the occupation that doesn’t truly want peace, even though it pretends to. It only seeks bloodshed and destruction.

Seven Days on Assault

Today is March 24, 2025. It has been seven days since the resumption of war, but these seven days are not new. Since the signing of the ceasefire, Israeli violations and attacks have never ceased.

Should we consider the past days as calm ones? They were nearly two months of ceasefire, but for Gazans, there was no calm. They lacked food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity. Yet, they were rebuilding their lives. They love life, and they know that patience and strength are essential to defeating the occupation.

A Happy Eid?

Two days before the assault, I went out with my two sons and bought them new clothes for Eid al-Fitr, which is set to begin soon. I did my best to rebuild life from scratch. I told them, “A happy Eid is coming.”

“We will make sweets, wear our most beautiful clothes for Eid, visit our grandmother in the south, and our aunts in the north. It will be a joyful Eid.”

This is the fourth or fifth Eid we’ve spent under Israeli attack. I don’t remember the exact number because I’ve truly stopped counting. Israel’s attacks are many and endless. Children in Gaza are not truly children anymore. They’ve lost their childhood. They’ve grown up knowing only wars, lacking food, toys, and joyful moments.

It is hard for parents to watch their children grow up in such an environment. Two days ago,I was overwhelmed with sadness and started crying. My son saw me, hugged me, and asked, “What’s going on?” He is four and a half years old, yet he’s already accustomed to sadness and death. I told him, “I love you, Habibi. You are the most precious thing in the world to me.”

He thought that he made me sad. “Did I make a mistake? I’m sorry…” I laughed at his innocence, something that Israel doesn’t distinguish when it attacks homes and shelters, killing innocent lives.

As of today, more than 650 civilians have been killed, including over 200 innocent children. Mothers and fathers are left in a state of disbelief after losing their children.

I saw a video of a grieving mother screaming, saying, “My children and husband were killed. I was sleeping and woke up to find them dead.”

I also saw a father holding his daughter’s hair, gently playing with it, while she lay lifeless in his arms.

There are many more videos capturing such heartbreaking moments. The world is watching Gaza, but no one takes a step to stop these deadly assaults.