For the first time in two years, Gaza woke to something close to silence. No airstrikes, no sirens, only the hum of generators and distant shouts of disbelief. Across the border in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, families held photos of their sons and daughters and chanted “Thank you, America.” In Khan Younis, vendors reopened stalls among the ruins and children chased kites stitched from old plastic bags. For a day, life tilted toward hope. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas — brokered by U.S.