A sign in the Palestinian camp of Shatila, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, pays tribute to the Palestinian martyrs killed in Gaza and Nablus, on Oct. 9, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
In the dim alleys of Burj al-Barajneh camp, life goes on as if nothing has happened. Even in other Palestinian refugee camps of Beirut, there is little reason to celebrate, despite the cease-fire set to take effect Friday in Gaza after two years of a devastating Israeli war on the enclave.Housewives shop, and children with backpacks on their shoulders return from school under the watchful eyes of posters of Ismail Haniyeh and Abu Obeida — two Hamas leaders killed by Israel during the war. The posters adorn the walls of this Fatah-dominated camp, a rival of Hamas.Watching passersby, Ahmad* and Jihad*, in their 30s, drag on their cigarettes in dejection. The announcement of a cease-fire — following the near-destruction of Gaza and the mass displacement of a starving population — leaves a bitter taste.“The Gaza agreement is not a victory....
In the dim alleys of Burj al-Barajneh camp, life goes on as if nothing has happened. Even in other Palestinian refugee camps of Beirut, there is little reason to celebrate, despite the cease-fire set to take effect Friday in Gaza after two years of a devastating Israeli war on the enclave.Housewives shop, and children with backpacks on their shoulders return from school under the watchful eyes of posters of Ismail Haniyeh and Abu Obeida — two Hamas leaders killed by Israel during the war. The posters adorn the walls of this Fatah-dominated camp, a rival of Hamas.Watching passersby, Ahmad* and Jihad*, in their 30s, drag on their cigarettes in dejection. The announcement of a cease-fire — following the near-destruction of Gaza and the mass displacement of a starving population — leaves a bitter taste.“The Gaza agreement is not a...
