Exhausted Gazans bid farewell to a year of loss and displacement, clinging to hope that 2026 will bring an end to the war and a chance to rebuild their shattered lives.
GAZA CITY: Palestinians in Gaza are marking the new year with exhaustion and a fragile hope for peace after what many describe as an endless nightmare.
For residents of the battered territory, daily life remains a struggle for survival amidst widespread ruin and displacement.
“We in the Gaza Strip are living in an endless nightmare,” said Hanaa Abu Amra, a displaced woman in her thirties.
“We hope that this nightmare will end in 2026. The least we can ask for is a normal life,” she added, wishing for restored electricity and cleared streets.
Much of Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruins after two years of fighting, with electricity scarce and hundreds of thousands living in makeshift tents.
Scenes of hardship are commonplace, with children queuing for water and rows of tents lining streets and open spaces.
What were once bustling neighbourhoods now bear the scars of bombardment, with daily activity reduced to the bare essentials.
For many, the end of the year is a moment to mourn as much as to hope.
“We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,” said Shireen Al-Kayali.
“We lost a lot of people and our possessions. We lived a difficult and harsh life, displaced from one city to another,” she explained.
Her experience reflects that of countless Gazans who have been forced to flee repeatedly, often with little warning.
Entire families have been uprooted and livelihoods destroyed as the war dragged on, fragmenting communities.
Despite the devastation, some residents cling to the belief that the new year might bring an end to the fighting.
Hope has become an act of resilience, particularly after a truce that came into effect on October 10 and has largely halted the fighting.
“We still hope for a better life in the new year, and I call on the free world to help our oppressed people so we can regain our lives,” said Khaled Abdel Majid, 50.
Faten al-Hindawi hoped the truce would finally end the war.
“We will bid farewell to 2025, leaving behind its pain, and we hope that 2026 will be a year of hope,” she said.
Such hopes are shared widely even as conditions on the ground remain dire.
Humanitarian agencies warn that shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies persist.
Winter conditions are also worsening life in overcrowded displacement camps across the territory.
Amid the rubble and the tents, many Gazans say their aspirations are modest: safety, stability and dignity.
“I hope the reconstruction of Gaza begins in 2026. Gaza was beautiful, and we hope it returns to being beautiful again,” said one resident.
