Storyline: Residents of the Gaza Strip welcomed the ceasefire agreement on Thursday, yearning to return to their homes after enduring over two years of devastating bloodshed and hardship. Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire deal, offering a tentative path toward ending the two-year conflict that has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, injured almost 170,000 others, and left the enclave in ruins. The deal on the "first phase" of a U.S.-backed peace plan, coming after intense negotiations in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States, outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal, while establishing mechanisms for prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid delivery. Following the announcement of the deal, people in southern Gaza walked on street, joyfully cheering, chanting, and waving in celebration. Many expressed their eagerness to return to and rebuild their homes. "Thank God the war has ended, and my family and I are safe. We pray that we can return to our home in northern Gaza as soon as possible. The first thing I will do when the war is over is go back to northern Gaza to check on our home, to see if it is still standing or destroyed, and to see what has become of Gaza," said Nidal Al-Sarsak, a Gaza resident. "All the Palestinian people are overjoyed, and people across Gaza are celebrating the ceasefire. This means an end to the suffering we have endured. Children are all happy. The first thing I will do is to return to my home. Even if they are destroyed, we will set up a tent over the rubble and end the water crisis. I hope a lot of aid will be brought in, and the suffering of all the Palestinian people will come to an end," said another resident Ayman Abu Arabiya. Gazan resident Issa Junaid said the news of a ceasefire deal was a mix of joy and pain. "Our feelings are of joy and happiness, but this joy is mixed with pain, pain for losing our families, homes, lands, properties and businesses. But we are happy that this massacre, this war of genocide and starvation has stopped. We are all now preparing to return to our homelands, to smell the scent of our lands, our homes, and touch the soil of our homes that were demolished by Israel, the homes where we lived, grew up, and had memories," he said. The conflict that erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 has destroyed about 80 percent of Gaza's infrastructure and displaced nearly two million residents, apart from creating human casualties, according to UN estimates. Shotlist: Gaza Strip - Oct 9, 2025: 1. Various of Gazans celebrating ceasefire deal 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nidal Al-Sarsak, resident (partially overlaid with shot 3): "Thank God the war has ended, and my family and I are safe. We pray that we can return to our home in northern Gaza as soon as possible. The first thing I will do when the war is over is go back to northern Gaza to check on our home, to see if it is still standing or destroyed, and to see what has become of Gaza." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Sept 15, 2025: 3. Crowd near collapsed building [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Gaza Strip - Oct 9, 2025: 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Abu Arabiya, resident: "All the Palestinian people are overjoyed, and people across Gaza are celebrating the ceasefire. This means an end to the suffering we have endured. Children are all happy. The first thing I will do is to return to my home. Even if they are destroyed, we will set up a tent over the rubble and end the water crisis. I hope a lot of aid will be brought in, and the suffering of all the Palestinian people will come to an end." Gaza Strip - Sept 25, 2025: 5. Various of destroyed buildings, rubble Gaza Strip - Sept 30, 2025: 6. Various of broken flag of Palestine Gaza Strip - Oct 9, 2025: 7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Issa Junaid, resident (partially overlaid with shot 8): "Our feelings are of joy and happiness, but this joy is mixed with pain, pain for losing our families, homes, lands, properties and businesses. But we are happy that this massacre, this war of genocide and starvation has stopped. We are all now preparing to return to our homelands, to smell the scent of our lands, our homes, and touch the soil of our homes that were demolished by Israel, the homes where we lived, grew up, and had memories." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Gaza Strip - Oct 1, 2025: 8. Various of displaced Palestinians fleeing with belongings, shoreline [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Gaza Strip - Recent: 9. Aerial shot of tents. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]