Gaza displaced doubtful on ceasefire as the war marks nine months

War-weary Palestinians in the Gaza Strip expressed doubt that a cease-fire deal could be reached soon as nine months of the Israel-Hamas war was marked on Sunday.

International War-weary Palestinians in the Gaza Strip expressed doubt that a cease-fire deal could be reached soon as nine months of the Israel-Hamas war was marked on Sunday.

International mediators have renewed efforts to broker a deal, with Hamas over the weekend appearing to have dropped a key demand for an Israeli commitment to end the war, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke to The Associated Press.

This could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks.

But Hamas have demanded guarantees from mediators that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will continue to negotiate a permanent cease-fire.

Netanyahu had previously said he was open to pausing the war as part of a hostage deal, but added that Israel would press on until it reached its goals of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and bringing all hostages home.

“We have lived through nine months of suffering,” Heba Radi, a displaced woman, said in an interview.

“The cease-fire has become a distant dream,” she added.

The mother of six children spoke from her tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah where she has been sheltering after fleeing the family's home in Gaza City.

“Everyday, we tell ourselves tomorrow (there will be a cease-fire),” she said, “and tomorrow will be better. And when tomorrow comes, they say it (the negotiations) was postponed.”

Ahmed Bakeir, a displaced man from Gaza City, said they have been waiting for a cease-fire since the first weeks of the war.

But their hopes have been dashed as both sides have dug in.

“We no longer have hope,” he said. “We despair of life.”

The war was triggered by the Palestinian militant group following a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people.

Another 250 people were taken hostage.

A retaliatory Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The war has caused widespread damage and precipitated a vast humanitarian crisis in Gaza.mediators have renewed efforts to broker a deal, with Hamas over the weekend appearing to have dropped a key demand for an Israeli commitment to end the war, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke to The Associated Press.

This could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks.

But Hamas have demanded guarantees from mediators that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will continue to negotiate a permanent cease-fire.

Netanyahu had previously said he was open to pausing the war as part of a hostage deal, but added that Israel would press on until it reached its goals of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and bringing all hostages home.

“We have lived through nine months of suffering,” Heba Radi, a displaced woman, said in an interview.

“The cease-fire has become a distant dream,” she added.

The mother of six children spoke from her tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah where she has been sheltering after fleeing the family's home in Gaza City.

“Everyday, we tell ourselves tomorrow (there will be a cease-fire),” she said, “and tomorrow will be better. And when tomorrow comes, they say it (the negotiations) was postponed.”

Ahmed Bakeir, a displaced man from Gaza City, said they have been waiting for a cease-fire since the first weeks of the war.

But their hopes have been dashed as both sides have dug in.

“We no longer have hope,” he said. “We despair of life.”

The war was triggered by the Palestinian militant group following a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people.

Another 250 people were taken hostage.

A retaliatory Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The war has caused widespread damage and precipitated a vast humanitarian crisis in Gaza.