Palestinian refugees in Lebanon rejoice as Gaza truce announced

Anticipating the ceasefire announcement in the besieged Gaza strip, few went to bed early in Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps late Thursday.

When the clocks struck 2am, hundreds flooded the streets to celebrate, proclaiming unity with their Gazan compatriots.

The joy was heightened as prayers of thanks blared out from mosque minarets in the Burj al-Barajneh and Shatila camps in central Beirut.

Maha Marwa, a Burj al-Barajneh resident, explained what the ceasefire meant to Palestinians living in displacement:

“The victory is one for all the people of Palestine, and it has re-affirmed that our to time to return is near…It is only borders that keep us separated from Palestine – we are one nation, and the sadness and joy we feel is one”.

In the south, marchers at the Ain al-Hilweh camp waved Palestinian flags, reveling in the moment of national solidarity.

Mona Hamze, a local woman who spoke to The New Arab’s sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, underscored the victory claimed by Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

Celebrations in Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon pic.twitter.com/DIzmIOdnRc

— David A. Daoud (@DavidADaoud) May 20, 2021

“These feelings cannot be described – we have grown so tired of humiliation and endless defeats: today the resistance has given us renewed hope,” said Hamze.

She added that for past 11 days, camp residents had shed tears non-stop for Gaza’s most vulnerable: the children, women and the elderly.

Demonstrations also took place in northern Lebanon, at the Beddawi and Nahr al-Bared refugee camps. In the eastern al-Jalil camp, Palestinian refugees spilled out onto the streets, chanting slogans hailing Gaza’s resilience.

Read also: Palestinians rally in thousands after Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Gaza

The Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect from 2am, ending the Israel’s brutal 11-day campaign on the densely populated enclave.

The brutal bombardment left 232 Palestinians dead, including 65 children and 39 women, with 1710 people wounded, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

On the Israeli side, 12 people were killed as Hamas and other Gaza-based groups fire thousands of rockets towards Israeli cities.

The escalation was sparked by days of Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters at Al-Aqsa, which came alongside the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem.