\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAs part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and thousands of Palestinian families are returning to northern Gaza to begin rebuilding their lives.The deal has come as a relief for Palestinians and their families, but leaders in South Florida\u2019s Palestinian community said it\u2019s just the first step towards living freely and peacefully.Related: Gaza ceasefire: Hamas releases 20 hostages; more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners released by IsraelThough the war has come to a halt, the future is still uncertain for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left homeless and starving in Gaza.\u201cNow that the ceasefire is in place, they are now going back to living in an open-air prison that’s imposed by the state of Israel,\u201d Jalal \u201cJay\u201d Shehadeh, a spokesperson for the South Florida Muslim Federation, said. \u201cThere’s a huge sigh of relief that Israel’s not slaughtering tens of thousands of people regularly. So, there’s certainly happiness that we feel and relief that we feel in regards to that. But there’s also frustration.”Shehadeh is a Palestinian American attorney based in Coral Gables and also serves on the board of the Palestinian American Bar Association and the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations.He said that though the ceasefire is a positive step forward, many in the Palestinian community are still frustrated and are now prioritizing their immediate needs.\u201cIt\u2019s so sad how simple what that first sort of priority is. It’s going to be just basic nutrition. They need basic nutrients. I mean, we’re talking flour for bread,\u201d Shehadeh said.Humanitarian aid into Gaza has been restricted by Israel, leading the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification to declare famine in the region.\u201cI think it’s going to work very similar to kind of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I think they’re going to start with getting food, and then they’re going to be thinking about, can I find a safe place to sleep?\u201d Shehadeh said.The latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on politicsGaza\u2019s health ministry reports more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023 \u2014 half of those being women and children.Shehadeh said he wants to remind people that the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been occurring long before this war, and in the long term, what he and others in his community believe they need to move forward is accountability.\u201cIsrael has slaughtered tens of thousands of people. It must be held to account for its inhumane war crimes. I think if we hold countries to account for their crimes, it will create deterrence. It will avoid these kinds of things in the future. But if we allow this type of thing, then what kind of world are we really living in?\u201d Shehadeh said.\u201cI would say the correct moves forward now is it’s important that Israel is sanctioned for the crimes that it has committed. And if we continue down that path, then it will make sure that Israel doesn’t do this again and will also make sure other countries don’t think that they can behave in this way again,\u201d Shehadeh said.Shehadeh said there are organizations currently working to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including the UNRWA, World Food Kitchen, and the Palestine Children\u2019s Relief Fund.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here. Top Headlines: Tropical Storm Lorenzo forms in Atlantic\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
As part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and thousands of Palestinian families are returning to northern Gaza to begin rebuilding their lives.<\/p>\n
The deal has come as a relief for Palestinians and their families, but leaders in South Florida\u2019s Palestinian community said it\u2019s just the first step towards living freely and peacefully.<\/p>\n
Related: Gaza ceasefire: Hamas releases 20 hostages; more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel<\/a><\/p>\n Though the war has come to a halt, the future is still uncertain for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left homeless and starving in Gaza.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that the ceasefire is in place, they are now going back to living in an open-air prison that’s imposed by the state of Israel,\u201d Jalal \u201cJay\u201d Shehadeh, a spokesperson for the South Florida Muslim Federation, said. \u201cThere’s a huge sigh of relief that Israel’s not slaughtering tens of thousands of people regularly. So, there’s certainly happiness that we feel and relief that we feel in regards to that. But there’s also frustration.”<\/p>\n Shehadeh is a Palestinian American attorney based in Coral Gables and also serves on the board of the Palestinian American Bar Association and the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations.<\/p>\n He said that though the ceasefire is a positive step forward, many in the Palestinian community are still frustrated and are now prioritizing their immediate needs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so sad how simple what that first sort of priority is. It’s going to be just basic nutrition. They need basic nutrients. I mean, we’re talking flour for bread,\u201d Shehadeh said.<\/p>\n Humanitarian aid into Gaza has been restricted by Israel, leading the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification to declare famine in the region.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s going to work very similar to kind of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I think they’re going to start with getting food, and then they’re going to be thinking about, can I find a safe place to sleep?\u201d Shehadeh said.<\/p>\n The latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on politics<\/a><\/p>\n Gaza\u2019s health ministry reports more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023 \u2014 half of those being women and children.<\/p>\n Shehadeh said he wants to remind people that the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been occurring long before this war, and in the long term, what he and others in his community believe they need to move forward is accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael has slaughtered tens of thousands of people. It must be held to account for its inhumane war crimes. I think if we hold countries to account for their crimes, it will create deterrence. It will avoid these kinds of things in the future. But if we allow this type of thing, then what kind of world are we really living in?\u201d Shehadeh said.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say the correct moves forward now is it’s important that Israel is sanctioned for the crimes that it has committed. And if we continue down that path, then it will make sure that Israel doesn’t do this again and will also make sure other countries don’t think that they can behave in this way again,\u201d Shehadeh said.<\/p>\n Shehadeh said there are organizations currently working to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including the UNRWA, World Food Kitchen, and the Palestine Children\u2019s Relief Fund.<\/p>\n Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Top Headlines: <\/p>\n