"ANAS BABA, BYLINE: Nothing looks the same in Gaza after two years of war. Everywhere you look are mounds of rubble and bombed buildings. But there is one thing here that hasn't changed, the sea. (SOUNDBITE OF OCEAN SWAYING) BABA: It's the one constant in Gaza, a refuge for the suffocation of daily life where Palestinians say we can breathe a little easier. Shaimaa Abu Salama (ph) is with her toddler at the beach. They are with friends, having picnic. They have brought chips, biscuits, luxuries that weren't possible during the war."
"BABA: She says coming here is therapeutic after two years of war. Her husband is among the tens of thousands of people killed in the war. And while Abu Salama is breathing a little easier today, she doesn't know what tomorrow will bring. ABU SALAMA: (Non-English language spoken). BABA: She says this is a complex ceasefire, with the next phase still unclear and the future of Gaza still unknown. ABU SALAMA: (Non-English language spoken). BABA: Which she says makes this feel like a temporary respite."
After two years of war Gaza's landscape is dominated by mounds of rubble and bombed buildings. The sea remains unchanged and functions as a refuge where Palestinians find temporary relief. Families have returned to beaches for picnics and treats that were unavailable during the conflict. Some residents describe outings as therapeutic, even as many mourn relatives killed in the war. The ceasefire is described as complex and temporary, with its next phase unclear and Gaza's future unknown. Despite the truce, recent violence killed dozens; health officials report 89 people killed by Israeli fire since October 11, many in areas with Israeli troops still positioned inside Gaza.
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