Children in Gaza celebrated late Wednesday following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. In a video obtained by CNN, four young girls, smiling, told a reporter that they were excited about the prospect of returning to their homes.
One girl explained, “Because we’re going home.” She added, “We’ve spent two years, now entering the third, living in a war. We’re so tired of this life. Now we want to go back. If we are told to return, we will.“
Over the past two years, children in Gaza have endured catastrophic conditions, trapped between relentless military attacks and growing food insecurity.
The UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) marked the second anniversary of the conflict with a call to end the war and highlighted its devastating toll on children in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“Over the past two years, a staggering 64,000 children are reported to have been killed or injured across the Gaza Strip, including at least 1,000 infants. We do not know how many others have died due to preventable diseases or remain buried under rubble,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.
The ceasefire has sparked a wave of cautious optimism among Gaza’s youngest residents, offering a chance for relief, recovery, and the possibility of returning to normal childhood activities.
