Eba Traui
Appearances
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
Hi, A. Yeah, I mean, look, a few days after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7th of 2023, Israel ordered Palestinians to leave their homes in Gaza City and the north. And so more than a million people heeded those orders, leaving with just a few belongings, and many never imagined it would be 16 months of displacement.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
And during the war, Israeli forces carved out this miles-wide corridor isolating Gaza City in the north from the rest of the territory. But today, troops partly withdrew, allowing people to return, and this is a direct result of complex talks happening regarding the release of hostages and prisoners in the ceasefire.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
And so, A, for the first time since I've been reporting on this war, I could hear a level of Joy in Gaza I have not heard before. And you can hear it in NPR producer Anas Baba's voice. I reached him by phone as he was walking among huge crowds back to his home in Gaza City. Have a listen.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
Yeah. I mean, look, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and survivors of these airstrikes tell us that under the rubble are entire families, thousands of bodies that have not been retrieved. The U.N. also says there are unexploded bombs amid all this debris, posing a huge risk to people.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
But Anna says people in Gaza have been living without electricity or adequate shelter for over a year now, displaced in other parts, so they're ready to set up tents atop the rubble of their homes. And they will be heavily relying on U.N. aid for basics like food and water. And there's also this reality, eh? Many people are returning without those they left with.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
Parents are returning without all of their kids, and children are returning without their parents. Thousands of Palestinians were killed while they were seeking shelter in southern parts of Gaza in the war.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
Well, many in Israel are relieved that hostages are being freed in the ceasefire, and there will be three additional people freed this week. That's out of 90 still held in Gaza many believe to be alive. Hamas has already freed seven Israeli women in exchange for nearly 300 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons just in the first week of the ceasefire.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
But there are also people on the far right in Israel angry with this deal. They want Israel to return to war, and they argue that this deal leaves Hamas in power. It's also worth mentioning, A, this isn't the only ceasefire in place in the region right now. The one that halted fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group was just extended for three more weeks.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
That's despite more than 20 people killed in Lebanon yesterday trying to return home to their villages in or near areas still controlled by Israel.
Up First from NPR
Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured
Thank you.