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As the clock struck 7am on Friday and the echoes of battle fell silent, exhausted and grieving residents of the ravaged Gaza Strip returned to the streets seeking a brief moment of normality.
The four-day truce between Hamas and Israel in Gaza had just begun, with the agreement set to allow the release of dozens of Israeli hostages held by the militant group. Some Palestinians detained in Israel are also to be freed under the deal.
Men, women and children walked past scenes of destruction, hoping to find necessities or reach homes they were forced to flee amid the Israeli bombardment that has killed more than 14,500 in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Reem Najah, 45, returned to find her family’s home destroyed in the bombing. She began looking through the rubble and rubbish for food and clothes.
“We were happy to see the truce, but we found out today that our home was destroyed. I have young kids, but we couldn’t find anything in our home. They destroyed us,” she told The National.
Ms Najah is one of 1.7 million Palestinians who were forced from their homes and are now sheltering in schools, tents and hospitals.
Others had different to-do lists after the temporary truce began. Some sought out surviving relatives or held proper burials for those killed by Israeli strikes. Some were buried in mass graves in gardens and farmlands, or are still in body bags at hospital doors.
But for many, this was also an opportunity to have a walk without worrying about a strike, or to simply have a haircut.
Residents in the southern Gaza Strip told The National they were trying to secure necessities, including food, clothing or firewood, because of the lack of cooking gas and electricity.
“Of course, many will console each other,” one resident said.
“In general, the truce provides a breather for the people, even if it is temporary. The truce gives people hope that the war will begin to end.”
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