Deir al-Balah-Gaza- After a long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect in Gaza on Sunday, marking a pause in one of the region’s most devastating wars, residents are now living in a mixture of relief and disbelief.

With the skies finally silent after months of relentless Israeli attacks, people are returning to their devastated neighborhoods facing the daunting challenges of rebuilding their lives torn apart by the 15-month war.

Displaced residents who have taken refuge in makeshift camps in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, spoke to Al Jazeera to express their mixed feelings, losses, hopes and fears about the future.

Hamza al-Ramlawi, 70, from Tal al-Hawa, Gaza City

Ramlawi said: “We are very happy and relieved that a ceasefire agreement has finally been reached.”

“Sadness will remain in our hearts. We will remember the family and loved ones we lost. There is joy that we will return, but it is joy filled with loss and sadness.

“I will remember my son Muhammad, who I lost in a bombing near our tent in Al-Zawaida in central Gaza. His loss is as vast as the universe.

“For us, we spend our days with peace of mind now that the bloodshed has finally stopped.

“This is the first night we slept peacefully and soundly. We slept every night during the war for fear of any strike that might target us.

“We’ve had enough wars. I hope both sides will calm down and let people live their lives.”

He added: “We hope that this truce will continue. We cannot bear this major battle that has turned our lives into a disaster.”

“I would be lying if I said that I would return to my home in the north happily when I lose my son. Allow me to remain silent.

Suleiman Abdel Qader, 74 years old, resident of Deir al-Balah

“We thank God that the war has finally stopped. I hope all the displaced people will be able to return to their homes soon,” Abdul Qadir said.

“People are miserable and have lost a lot. Some of our relatives are still buried under the rubble, others are missing.

“I still feel angry at the European world and America because they did not exert enough pressure at the beginning of these fifteen months of war.

It was great suffering for everyone in Gaza.

“I hope that people will recover from their wounds, that those injured will find treatment, and that those who have lost loved ones will find comfort.

He added: “We hope that the ceasefire will continue, despite my many fears, because Israel does not fulfill its promises.”

Samah Shalayel, 44 years old, mother of five children, from Beit Lahia, north of Gaza:

“The first day of the ceasefire was strange. “Some people were celebrating and happy, while others were crying and remembering their loved ones who were killed in this war,” Shalayel said.

“This is the first night we have slept peacefully, and we are relieved to know that the bloodshed will stop, that we will return to our lands, and that we are about to start a new life.

He added: “The Palestinian people are full of hope and determination to continue.

“At the beginning of the ceasefire announcement, I felt cautiously optimistic. But when the prisoner exchanges began and the planes disappeared from the sky, I began to feel some relief.

“The heart is still wounded. We cannot talk about joy and happiness, but there is psychological comfort. We are still afraid of the obstacles that lie ahead. The country has been completely destroyed.

He added: “I expect the ceasefire to continue as long as there are agreements to release prisoners and hostages.

He added: “I am excited for the coming period, to resume life again. I want my children to return to their school desks.”

Suhaila Hazem, 65 years old, from Deir al-Balah:

“The feeling of a ceasefire is indescribable,” Hazem said. “We are still deeply affected and hurt by the war.

“I lost my son Hatem, 30 years old, a father of three daughters, last June in a bombing in Deir al-Balah. My sister also lost her only son, and my brother lost his son and other relatives as well. No one was spared the loss. We all endured great suffering in This war.

“We finally had our long nights of sleep after such a long absence. We couldn’t sleep because of the bombing and the fear. If the bombing wasn’t on us, it would have been on my neighbour, my family or people we know somewhere else. And every night, when it gets dark, the anxiety comes.” And fear.

“We are all one family in this war, and our wounds are shared. We waited for the war to end to find out the fate of those we lost contact with due to the communication breakdown.

“Things are easier for us now. We feel very relieved and hope that international efforts to stabilize the truce will continue.

“Everyone should know that this is our land, and we have the right to live here. We ask God to compensate us for what we lost.

“I have no plans. I just want to live normally and stably.”