Rami Aljelda wasn’t sure if he or his family would survive the war in Gaza as they sheltered in a church hall.
The Palestinian refugee, now living in Sydney, managed to escape Gaza with his wife and baby after seven months of bombardment by Israeli air strikes.
At the outbreak of the war his family evacuated their home, and like many others fleeing the danger, took refuge in the St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church located at the northern end of the strip.
The ancient church, which was sheltering hundreds of people, would be hit by an air strike in October 2023.
Just three days before the closure of the Rafah crossing, Mr Aljelda’s family was able to escape to Egypt, before arriving in Australia last August.
A ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect on Sunday after Hamas and Israel agreed to bring an end to the 15-month conflict.
“My heart aches for the ones who never got to see this day,” Mr Aljelda said.
“This pain doesn’t disappear just because the bombing is going to stop.
“It’s a strange, bitter mix of emotions, relief, anger, grief and hope all together.”
Mr Aljelda said everyone just wanted peace.
“Even when we call our families, our parents there, I can’t even imagine how they’re still bearing everything happening,” he said.
“They’re still living at the church. They’re still waiting for their weekly shower. They don’t have food, they don’t have hygiene, they don’t have medical care.”
Israel’s military would gradually withdraw from the strip and hostages taken on the October 7, 2023 attack would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners under the first stage of the truce.
Melbourne academic Ran Porat has family in Israel and says many questions remain about the announcement.
“There’s a mixed bag of hope and expectations, and the return of loved ones being kept in the worst possible conditions of Gaza, but also a lot of concern,” he told AAP.
Canberra lawyer Mussa Hizaji, who has family in Palestine, says his community remains sceptical.
“A ceasefire is great, and the people of Gaza might have a reprieve, but it’s important for people not to forget why we are here in the first place,” he said.
Israel’s war in Gaza was launched after Hamas’ attack in 2023, which killed 1200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli authorities.
Almost 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s retaliatory strikes according to the local health ministry.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the ceasefire was an opportunity to lower the temperature in Australia amid soaring tensions in the community.
“We urge all parties to make sure they respect the terms of the ceasefire,” she told Sky News on Thursday.
“What we want to see is the momentum from this ceasefire mean something for the longer term peace in the region.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, while declaring Australians wanted to see the hostages returned to their families and an end to the conflict.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on the government to focus on anti-Semitism in Australia and ensuring the safety of the Jewish community, while welcoming the peace agreement.
