LONDON: When a ceasefire was declared in Gaza on Oct. 10, even this narrow window of calm was enough to revive hopes of peace after two years of war. Aid convoys began moving once again, and families allowed themselves to dream of recovery.
That optimism faded quickly, however. After a fleeting lull in the fighting, Israeli airstrikes resumed across the Palestinian enclave, replacing fragile hope with renewed fears for civilians and aid workers.
Joseph Belliveau, executive director of the US-based medical charity MedGlobal, was among those who felt that shift firsthand.
In the Al-Mawasi area of southwestern Gaza on a rare frontline assessment mission, Belliveau was awakened on Nov. 21 at 5:20 a.m. by explosions that shook the building where he was staying.
“I lost count of how many bombs we were hearing throughout the day,” he told Arab News over the phone from Al-Mawasi. “Even though we’re now calling this a ceasefire, it is still a very violent period.”
