Palestinians in UAE hopeful at prospect of ceasefire

Deal would offer glimmer of peace, but Gazans wary of challenges in rebuilding their homes and lives

Mahmoud Ahmed works at the UAE aid warehouse in Al Arish, Egypt. Pawan Singh / The National

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Palestinians in the UAE are hopeful for an end to the war at home following the announcement of a 42-day ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. However, they say the damage done will take a lifetime to repair.

The deal, which would bring a pause to 15 months of fighting in Gaza from January 19, would see the release of hostages, meaning hope for an end to a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed the territory and threatened to start a wider regional conflict.

“I have been waiting for this moment," Fathi Abu Seedo, 62, a Palestinian who has lived in the UAE for more than four decades, told The National. "Every second of the wait felt like a lifetime of fear and anticipation.”

Mr Seedo, who works in Dubai, said a ceasefire would be a lifeline for his children – aged between 16 and 34 – who had to move back to Gaza in 2021 due to financial difficulties. "I feel like I've got my life back," he said. His daughters messaged him from Gaza as soon as the ceasefire was announced. "They sent me WhatsApp voice messages saying people all around were happy – they could hear loud cheers on the streets and drivers honking car horns."

Fathi Abu Seedo's children, aged between 16 and 34, were all born in the UAE. Photo: Fathi Abu Seedo

Last-minute setback

The ceasefire deal, announced on Wednesday night, remains tentative after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of creating a “last-minute crisis”.

“Hamas is backing out of the explicit understandings agreed upon with the mediators and Israel in a last-minute blackmail attempt,” the official statement said.

Palestinian Fidaa Alloh, 40, and her mother, were in tears when the ceasefire deal was initially announced, and immediately offered their gratitude in prayers. “For my mother, who is here with me, a ceasefire offers a small sense of comfort, knowing that her loved ones may no longer have to live in constant fear of bombings," she said

"This means my family in Gaza can finally have a moment to breathe, to find safety, and to begin healing from the unimaginable devastation they've endured. It brings a glimmer of hope."

Hopes for displaced Gazans

Mahmoud Ahmed Al Shaer, who works at the UAE aid stores in Egypt’s Al Arish after fleeing the war last January, was lost for words. “I don’t know how to describe the joy I’m feeling," he said, adding that he plans to "go back when the border opens".

"Israel invaded our land, but we won’t leave Gaza,” he added.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Ahmed Sourani, 58, founder and coordinator of the Gaza Urban and Peri-urban Agricultural Platform, said he hopes to go back and rebuild his homeland.

He crossed the Rafah border to Egypt and flew via air to Dubai in December 2023 to receive the award of the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

“We will go back to Gaza to be part of reconstruction. I couldn’t go back to my city or family and stayed in Abu Dhabi. It was difficult year with many challenges, but I kept open channels with my colleagues and the platform. I wish peace spread and be among my family and people again,” Mr Sourani said.

“Being separated from my family in Gaza was very painful but staying here was a chance to develop the work in Gaza.”

Tough road ahead

However, there are mixed emotions among Palestinians as they are daunted by the challenges of rebuilding their lives and homes. "I'm grateful [if] it has happened but now begins another kind of struggle. So many homes are destroyed, people are exhausted and grieving as thousands have lost loved ones and many are still searching for bodies beneath the rubble," said Mr Seedo.

“Gaza’s wounds will take a lifetime to heal."

Even for Ms Alloh and her family, the pain runs deep. "We've lost so many – more than 200 members of my family are gone – and the scars left behind, both physical and emotional, will never fully heal.

"While a ceasefire may pause the violence, it does not erase the pain of what has been lost or the injustice we have suffered.

"I can only pray that this is the start of lasting peace and that one day, my family and every family in Gaza can rebuild their lives with dignity, safety, and hope for a better future."

Mr Al Shaer said returning to Khan Younis will be tough. “It will be sad to see what our families and friends have lost in the conflict. It will be sad to see our homes and shops destroyed.

“This war is a tragedy that nobody can imagine."

Mr Al Shaer is, however, confident of rebuilding his apartment that was “turned into a pile of rubble” during an Israeli air strike. “I will build my home again and restore my shop to prove that whatever happens to us we will be back stronger.

“In previous conflicts, Israel destroyed our farms and houses, but we restored our homes. This is our life, and this is our destiny.”

Khalid Al Sabi, a Palestinian expat in Dubai, remained sceptical about whether the deal will hold, and questioned if the world will stay focused on saving lives and rebuilding the city.

“The genocide will still go on at least until Sunday, the suffering will still go on even after the ceasefire because we have a destroyed city, over 100,000 injured with a countless number of people who have lost limbs and eyes.

“We have kids who didn’t go to school for a year-and-a-half, there is no infrastructure to go back to school, we don’t have hospitals,” said the 37-year-old, who was born in the UAE after his parents moved to Dubai from the West Bank.

“A ceasefire is only the first step to ending suffering.”

Reports of intensified attacks on Wednesday night reinforced this fear. "Just last night, I was on a call with my aunt who lives in Al Daraj neighbourhood and we could hear the explosions in the background. She said the bombings were worse than ever.”

Mr Seedo also struggled to reach his family after hearing reports that a house near his family home was bombed, leaving three families dead. "When I finally got through to my family after a dozen attempts, I could sense the fear in their voices."

Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, following Israeli strikes All Photos: Dr Thalia Pachiyannakis

Dr Thalia Pachiyannakis, an obstetrics and gynecology doctor who served in Gaza this year, has told of the horrifying conditions pregnant women and medical staff face

At Nasser Medical Complex in June, Dr Pachiyannakis witnessed 30 to 50 deliveries every day, despite a lack of equipment and fuel

Squalid conditions near the hospital. A shortage of resources extends to soap and tissues, affecting hygiene and sterilisation.

Destruction around Nasser Medical Complex

Dr Pachiyannakis entered Gaza in a UN convoy. Their bulletproof cars were fired on by Israeli snipers, making it unsafe even for healthcare workers to enter the enclave

Makeshift tent accommodation adds to hardships faced by Palestinians in the area