- Title: PERSONAL: Gazan mother in UAE longs to return home and visit son's grave
- Date: 17th January 2025
- Summary: PROTESTER HOLDING HIS DAUGHTER ON HIS SHOULDERS, RAISING VICTORY SIGN VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN REFUGEE, ABDALLAH AL-ZAMOUR, SAYING: “We came out to share with our families in Palestine their joy - from Yarmouk camp, the capital of refugees - to share with our brothers their joy of victory, that God h
- Embargoed: 31st January 2025 11:31
- Keywords: ABU DHABI CEASEFIRE DEAL GAZA HAMAS ISRAEL LOST SON MOTHER UAE WOMAN
- Location: ABU DHABI, UAE
- City: ABU DHABI, UAE
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA002398917012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: One day after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal announcement, Palestinian cancer patient living in UAE, Samira Said Ismail, was looking forward to go back to Gaza and visit her son's grave.
Evacuated from the enclave because of her health conditions, Ismail - originally from Deir al-Balah - lives in Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Humanitarian City with her accompanying daughter.
“We ask God, may the truce be implemented, because a lot of people were killed in the war and their homes were destroyed. War wasn’t supposed to happen from the beginning. We’re supposed to live happily in peace," Ismail said on Thursday (January 16).
The Palestinian mother said she lost her 27-year-old son some five months ago during the war in Gaza; and many other relatives of hers were killed.
"Of course, the truce will not bring back those who died but hopefully, things will get better in the future," she added.
A ceasefire accord in Gaza emerged on Wednesday (January 15) after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces. Dozens of hostages taken by Hamas including women, children, elderly and sick people would be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
If successful, the ceasefire would halt fighting that has razed much of heavily urbanized Gaza, killed over 46,000 people, and displaced most of the tiny enclave's pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to Gaza authorities.
It paves the way for a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, where the majority of the population has been displaced, facing hunger, sickness and cold.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen burst into Israeli border-area communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
(Production: Amr Alfiky) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains photographs or artwork. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.