'Brought tears to my eyes': Palestinian, Jewish communities in Windsor welcome news of ceasefire
CBC
Some Jewish community leaders and Palestinian advocates in the Windsor, Ont., area say they're buoyed by news of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
One man who came to the region from Gaza last summer said he is "so happy that I can't even find my words."
"When we heard this, it really brought tears to my eyes," said Ahmed Ismail.
His family in Gaza, he says, is overjoyed with the prospect of an end to the sound of rockets in the sky.
"They're so happy that we started to plan, 'If we see you guys, we will do this together. We will eat this together," he said.
The deal promises the phased release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel; it would allow people displaced in Gaza to return and bring humanitarian aid to the region.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the agreement in Doha, saying it would go into effect on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement it hoped "details will be finalized tonight."
The president of the University of Windsor Jewish Students Association said news of the agreement was still sinking in.
But Justin Hebert, who is in his final semester of law at the university, says he has been steadfast in his insistence on freedom for Israeli hostages, and he welcomed the possibility of their release.
"This must be seen as a moment of relief for so many people," he said.
At the same time, Hebert expressed caution about the outcome, saying peace accords have fallen apart in the past after being close to completion, and he and other members of the Jewish community are holding their collective breaths.
"We will believe it when we see it," he said.
Hebert said he has been caught in a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts about the conflict over the past year and a half – particularly given the rise of antisemitism.
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