As new cease-fire negotiations in Egypt draw near, many residents of Gaza find themselves torn between fragile hope and deep skepticism amid ongoing Israeli attacks.
Since the beginning of the year, Rana Salameh, 33, has been staying with her three children in a building in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah which used to serve as a school. They sleep on thin mattresses and cook on small gas stoves.
"Every time there is talk of a cease-fire or negotiations in Egypt, people in the shelter start whispering and hoping that it might finally be over," said Salameh, referring to the war that has been raging in the narrow coastal strip for two years.
"But after so many failed talks, we've learned not to expect too much." She said she has no answer to her children's questions about when they can go back to their home in northern Gaza.
"I want to believe that the talks will bring calm, but I'm afraid of being disappointed again. All I want is to return to our house in Beit Lahia - even if it's damaged - and let my children sleep in their own beds without the sound of bombs."
