Gazans on Wednesday evening celebrated the news that a cease-fire agreement has been struck that will not only bring about the release of hostages but an end to the fighting that they hope will be permanent and bring an end to the war after much of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed and most of its residents displaced.
The first phase of the deal will see an increase in humanitarian aid and the return of many from the northern areas of the Strip to their homes.
Hamas claimed victory in a statement and said the cease-fire deal is "a turning point in the struggle on the way to the ultimate goal of liberation."
Some of the Hamas supporters chanted "We are Mohammed Deif's people," referring to the slain head of the Hamas military wing, killed in an Israeli strike last August.
In Khan Younis, Hamas terrorists joined the celebrations with their guns raised. "We are around and will remain around," one said. Others raised the Palestinian flag and one woman vowed that Gaza would be rebuilt. "It will be more beautiful than ever, we will rebuild and rehabilitate. That is our achievement," she said.
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Hamas terrorists join celebrations after the cease-fire agreement was announced
(Photo: Bashar Taleb / AFP)
Gazans celebrate the cease-fire agreement
Hamas's communications office came out with a statement calling on people to avoid trouble until the cease-fire is in effect, perhaps hoping to avoid a mass return of displaced residents to the north where many of their homes were destroyed.
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There were celebrations in the West Bank city of Ramallah and on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Celebrations also took place in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and in Dahieh, the Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, where shots were fired into the air.