After 15 months of war, Gazans count the minutes until ceasefire begins

First truce in more than a year raises hopes that enough food, medicines and shelter will become available

A woman inside a damaged tent after an Israeli air strike on a camp for displaced people in Al Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on January 2. EPA

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With less than a day remaining before a long-awaited ceasefire goes into effect in Gaza, residents of the enclave said they were counting the minutes until they could have relief from 15 months of Israeli attacks that have devastated the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s military campaign against the Hamas militant group has taken a heavy toll on civilians, with women and children making up a large part of the nearly 47,000 people killed, widespread displacement and homelessness, extreme hunger and a lack of medical services for the ill and wounded.

In northern Gaza, which suffered under an Israeli siege, heavy bombardment and intense ground fighting since October, Munzer Khader was looking forward to being able to obtain diabetes and hypertension medicines for his elderly father.

“I was so worried about reaching a point where I couldn't provide medicine for my father,” Mr Khader, 50, told The National.

As with the rest of Gaza, healthcare has been severely diminished since the war began in October 2023. Israel recently attacked the main hospitals in northern Gaza, forcing them to close or cut services. Medicines are hard to come by, and the cost of those still available on the open market has soared.

“Not taking the medicine on time worsens his health, so I had no choice but to buy the medicine, even at the outrageous prices that rose during the war,” Mr Khader said.

“I made a plan to ensure he received his medicine despite the shortages. I also helped him follow a strict diet and eat specific foods to help maintain his health as best as possible.”

Availability of food, medicines and other essentials has been limited by Israeli controls on the entry of humanitarian aid and the looting of goods that do enter, as well the disruption of local production by the war. People have also had to resort to using firewood for cooking because gas has been unavailable, something Sarah Abu Hassira, 29, a resident of Gaza city, hopes will change

“Every day, I find myself worrying about how I’ll set a fire to cook and deciding what to prepare, as not all foods can be cooked over firewood,” she told The National.

A woman cooks over a wood fire in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. AFP

“I’ve suffered from the smoke of the woodfire, and on top of that, all my kitchen utensils are in poor condition because of the firewood,” Ms Abu Hassira added.

“I honestly can’t wait. I’m counting the hours and minutes until I can use my oven again, even though my house is partially destroyed. Just being able to cook properly and eating the food we love and have been deprived of, will feel like a step towards normality,” she said.

Nedaa Al Moghrabi, 38, hopes her family will finally have proper shelter after more than a year after they were forced to leave their home in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. She, her husband and five family members share a tent in Al Mawasi, one of thousands set up in the area by displaced Gazans after Israel designated it a “humanitarian zone”.

“We have suffered so much from the cold in winter and the unbearable heat in summer. I dream of having a ceiling above my head and walls to lean against,” said Ms Al Moghrabi.

“I just hope to be lucky enough to receive one of the caravans that are supposed to enter Gaza soon, so we can live in it,” she told The National.

“Living as a displaced person is the worst experience anyone can endure. Despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead, it will surely be better than what we’ve gone through, as long as we no longer have to fear losing someone close to us.”