For the first time in months, Bassil Naggar can sleep peacefully, no longer startled awake by the thunder of Israeli airstrikes.
Although the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has brought a much-needed pause in the violence for Naggar and countless other displaced Palestinians, the challenges of daily survival remain overwhelming. The two-year conflict has devastated Gaza, killing tens of thousands and leaving large parts of the territory in ruins.
While the lull in fighting has offered brief relief, residents continue to struggle with basic needs — shelter, warm clothing for the approaching winter, access to sufficient food, and constant anxiety over whether the truce will last.
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Since the ceasefire began on October 10, many have returned to their neighborhoods only to find their homes destroyed, their losses stark and personal.
“Even with the ceasefire, we’re still living in fear. Is the war truly over?” Naggar asked. He has been displaced around 12 times during the conflict and remembers a prior ceasefire shattered by airstrikes in March.
Now living in a worn-out tent in the overcrowded coastal area of Muwasi, Naggar says his former home in eastern Khan Younis was burned. As winter approaches, he worries how his family will stay warm. Food remains scarce — they mostly rely on canned beans and chickpeas. Although market shelves are slowly seeing items like noodles and chips, prices are still high and unaffordable for many.
The World Food Program is ramping up aid efforts, aiming to support families enduring months of siege, displacement, and hunger, spokesperson Abeer Etefa said in Geneva. But damaged infrastructure and limited access into Gaza remain major obstacles.
Earlier this week, humanitarian aid deliveries were halted for two days due to hostage-prisoner exchanges and a Jewish holiday. Israel also threatened to cut the number of aid trucks allowed in, accusing Hamas of stalling the return of hostage remains.
Under the current ceasefire deal, hundreds of aid trucks are supposed to enter Gaza daily. However, Israel’s COGAT agency has not confirmed how many have actually made it in. Naggar says he has yet to see a noticeable improvement in available aid.
The war, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 abducted, prompted a massive Israeli military response. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, nearly 68,000 Palestinians have died — figures generally considered credible by the UN and other observers.
In Deir al-Balah, scenes of desperation are still common. At one charity kitchen, displaced residents waited in line for hours for food. Fatima Shaat, from Khan Younis, said she stood in line for six hours. Basma Abu Al-Kheir noted that while some items are now available in markets, prices are too high for most people to afford.
Local resident Fida Ziyad said basic vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are now sold, but meat and poultry are rare and cost far more than before. Ziyad, who lost her home in northern Gaza, expressed concern about the future, as many critical issues remain unresolved.
Mohamed Samy, who returned to check on his house in Jabaliya, found it completely destroyed. Now living in Gaza City, he said his daily life hasn’t changed much. Even accessing clean drinking water requires walking for nearly an hour to reach a water truck.
In August, a major food crisis authority warned that Gaza City was experiencing famine, with risks of it spreading further. Israel rejected this assessment at the time. For months, aid groups had warned that Israel’s military actions and restrictions on aid were driving widespread hunger, especially among children.
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Since the ceasefire, at least nine humanitarian organizations have restarted services in Gaza City and northern areas, the UN reported on Thursday.
Still, many rely on charity kitchens. Ayman Abu Saif, a former hospitality worker, now displaced and living in Deir al-Balah, said, “It’s always rice or pasta.” With food prices slightly easing, he recently bought his children three apples — the first in over a year.
But his home in Gaza City is gone, along with essential infrastructure. “Even if I wanted to go back, there’s no water, no services. It’s not livable.”
Many returnees are finding their neighborhoods reduced to rubble, picking through the debris for remnants of their former lives.
Abu Saif is especially worried about his children’s future. His six-year-old son has had no formal schooling for over a year. “We’re glad the bombs have stopped, but we’ve lost everything.”
“I don’t want my kids growing up thinking this is normal — chasing charity food and walking miles for clean water. This is not how life should be. And I’m not sure it will change anytime soon.”