As 2025 ends, Palestinians in Gaza confront exhaustion and loss after two years of war that began with Hamas's October 2023 attack. Much of Gaza's infrastructure is destroyed, electricity is limited and hundreds of thousands remain displaced in tents. A truce that began on October 10 has largely halted the fighting, offering cautious hope, but humanitarian shortages and harsh winter conditions continue to deepen the crisis.
Gazans Bid Farewell To 2025: Grief, Resilience And A Fragile Hope For 2026
After two years of war between Hamas and Israel, most Gazans have been displaced, with huge numbers living in tents (Bashar Taleb)(Bashar Taleb/AFP/AFP)
As 2025 draws to a close, Palestinians across Gaza are marking the new year not with festivities but with exhaustion, grief and a fragile hope that their "endless nightmare" might finally end.
Life Amid Ruins
Daily life in the battered territory remains a struggle. Much of Gaza's infrastructure is in ruins, electricity is scarce, and hundreds of thousands of people live in makeshift tents after repeated displacements during two years of fighting that began with Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023. Children queue with plastic containers to collect water, while rows of tents stretch across streets and open spaces, sheltering families who have lost their homes.
Voices From The Camps
"We in the Gaza Strip are living in an endless nightmare," said Hanaa Abu Amra, a displaced woman in her thirties now living in Gaza City. "We hope that this nightmare will end in 2026... The least we can ask for is a normal life — to see electricity restored, the streets return to normal and to walk without tents lining the roads."
For many, the final days of the year are as much a time for mourning as for cautious hope. A teenager painted "2026" on his tent, and an artist in Deir el-Balah sculpted the same numbers in sand — small acts of defiance and aspiration amid widespread loss.
Truce, But Needs Remain
Residents point to the truce that came into effect on October 10 and has largely halted large-scale fighting as a reason for cautious optimism. Still, humanitarian agencies warn that shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies persist, and that winter weather is worsening conditions in overcrowded displacement camps.
Many Gazans describe modest hopes for the year ahead: safety, stability, dignity and the start of reconstruction. "I hope the reconstruction of Gaza begins in 2026. Gaza was beautiful, and we hope it returns to being beautiful again," one resident said.
What Gazans Ask For
Across camps and shattered neighbourhoods, people call on the international community for urgent aid and long-term support to rebuild lives and restore basic services. For now, their aspirations remain grounded in basic human needs — shelter, electricity, medical care and the ability to return to ordinary daily life.
