Gaza, Jan 15 (NationPress) More than 2.2 million individuals in Gaza are eagerly monitoring the promising developments from Qatar, indicating that both Hamas and Israel might be close to finalizing a ceasefire to conclude the ongoing 15-month conflict in the region.

Baker Soboh, who tragically lost his son during the Israeli strikes, expressed his feelings by stating, “I will move from one place to another while raising my hands to the sky to scream to let my son hear me.”

“My son, family, and community have been waiting for such a deeply emotional moment for far too long,” Soboh, a 51-year-old father of seven, lamented. “But day by day, we lose more and more of our loved ones.”

Reports suggest that since Monday, there has been notable progress between both parties towards a ceasefire, despite a few remaining challenges. Officials from Israel, Palestine, and the US have shared a sense of cautious optimism regarding a potential breakthrough in the upcoming days.

A senior Hamas official based in Doha confirmed that the group had positively responded to the ceasefire proposal presented by mediators in Qatar, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The official stated, “Hamas has raised no objections to the proposal, hoping a ceasefire can soon be reached to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.”

“For us, waiting for this news feels like waiting for our Eid festival,” Soboh remarked. “Even though we have lost everything -- our loved ones, homes, work -- at least we will have time to mourn our losses.”

Three months prior, Soboh lost his elder son, Samih, during an Israeli assault on the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of Gaza.

“My son longed for the ceasefire and to return to our home in Gaza City, even if it meant living among the rubble of our house. But he was killed,” Soboh expressed sorrowfully.

“I will call my son's name endlessly until my voice fades, hoping he can hear me in the skies and know that the long-awaited ceasefire has been achieved and peace will finally reign,” the father shared with Xinhua.

Similar to Soboh, Mohammed, aged 65, anxiously awaits the announcement of a ceasefire stemming from the Doha discussions, as his family has been eager to learn the fate of his son, Shaaban.

Shaaban, who worked at the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, was apprehended by the Israeli military at a checkpoint in January 2024 while trying to escape alongside his family from Gaza City to southern areas.

“No party has communicated with us regarding my son's condition or fate,” Mohammed told Xinhua as he held Shaaban's photograph.

With their loved ones either deceased or missing, many Gazans are engulfed in grief and fear. They yearn for a momentary escape from the bloodshed and pressure, particularly the chance to return home once a ceasefire is declared.

Displaced Palestinian woman Mariam Arafa expressed her intentions, stating that she would quickly prepare her belongings to return to her home in Gaza City if a ceasefire is established.

“I want to weep over all my pains, losses, and even my damaged future... I will mourn every day I have been away from my home, life, loved ones, and work,” the 35-year-old mother of four shared with Xinhua.

“Hopefully, I will be able to sleep peacefully without fearing Israeli attacks and without hearing the sounds of Israeli warplanes and drones that have brought death upon us,” she added.

Sara, Arafa’s daughter, has a different idea. The 12-year-old girl shared with Xinhua that she would ask her father to buy her biscuits, which she has not had for over 14 months.

Another displaced Palestinian, Walid Hasouna, mentioned that once the conflict concludes, he would rush to the cemetery in Gaza City to pay his respects at the graves of his 13 family members who lost their lives during the Israeli assaults.

“I didn’t get the chance to grieve them properly; I was always fleeing from one location to another to escape Israeli attacks,” Hasouna recounted.

He added that some of his family members remain buried under a six-story building, and he needs to retrieve their bodies for a proper burial.

“Israel aims to extinguish us, but we will never cease to live, and we will remain here on our land forever,” he stated.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been conducting a large-scale military operation in Gaza, following an unprecedented Hamas-led offensive on Israeli border towns. The Hamas attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and around 250 captives taken.

Over the past 15 months, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza has risen to 46,645, according to a statement from Gaza-based health authorities on Tuesday.