Cautious optimism in Vancouver's Palestinian, Israeli communities over ceasefire deal
Ceasefire announced Wednesday after 15 months of war
Members of Vancouver's Palestinian and Israeli diasporas expressed cautious optimism over a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month-long war between Israel and Hamas that has led to immense suffering in the region.
The ceasefire between the Israeli state and the Palestinian militant group was announced Wednesday by Qatari mediators but has yet to be confirmed by the Israeli cabinet.
It outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It does not guarantee a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas.
The ceasefire deal comes after more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 10,000 others injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced, and much of its territory reduced to rubble in the fighting.
Hamas carried out an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that precipitated the war, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 250 hostages who were taken back to Gaza by Israel's count.
For members of the Palestinian and Israeli communities in Vancouver, the announcement of a deal brings relief but also anxiety over what might happen to family members and whether the ceasefire will hold.
"I wish peace for everyone in the world, for Israel, for Palestine, for everyone," said Saadiya Joha, a Port Coquitlam, B.C., woman who said her family in Gaza was elated over the proposed deal.
Joha recently went to court to try to get 30 family members stuck in Gaza into Canada. She said the world is sick and tired of the long war.
"I hope for a peace for Palestinian people, because they deserve [to] live in their land, and happy life and safe life," she said. "Not only for Palestinian people, for everyone deserves to live in their land and peace and love."
Omar Omar, another Palestinian Canadian man living in Vancouver, is in a predicament similar to Joha, saying he has been promised over 20 Palestinian family members will be resettled in Canada — but has not received updates on their cases for weeks.
"I don't think anyone can imagine the amount of stress and looking for people's names, your relatives' names on the lists of people who are killed, not knowing if they're alive or not," he said.
The Vancouver man said he's worried the ceasefire agreement won't hold, even if it is confirmed, as a recent truce between Israel and Lebanon saw repeated violations.
Omar is pushing for the Canadian government to take a more active role and resettle more Palestinians as a humanitarian measure.
"I have the guilt of, you know, the survival guilt that I am still alive," he said. "Meanwhile, my niece and nephew might die from cold, and the Canadian government can do something, and they're not doing anything."
Rabbi hopeful after loss
Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt of Vancouver's Congregation Schara Tzedeck has personally experienced loss from the war.
A close family friend, Ben Mizrachi, was among those killed by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, and he said that healing from that tragedy is still tough for Mizrachi's family and friends in Vancouver.
"You feel the pain for every single one when you talk to Israelis when you talk to hostages who have been released ... the pain does not go away until absolutely every single one of them has been returned," he said.
Rosenblatt said he hopes that the Middle East, shattered from 15 months of war, could now focus on building communities, peace, co-operation and infrastructure.
"There is cautious optimism that maybe we're moving forward, maybe that we can get past this war, maybe, you know, the swords can be beaten into pruning hooks," he said.
With files from Michelle Ghoussoub and Jon Hernandez