As the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups takes effect, many Palestinians living inside Israel say it brings little sense of relief. While the guns have fallen silent in Gaza, the emotional and political tension remains high across mixed cities such as Haifa, Lod, and Acre.
For many Palestinians who are citizens of Israel, the truce has not changed their daily reality. They still face discrimination, police surveillance, and social hostility that have deepened during the latest conflict. Some say they feel like “strangers in their own country,” torn between grief for relatives in Gaza and fear of expressing solidarity openly.
Community leaders explain that the ceasefire does not address the root causes of unrest—decades of inequality, land disputes, and political exclusion. “A ceasefire only stops the bombs; it doesn’t stop the system that marginalizes us,” said one activist from Lod.
Meanwhile, local authorities in Israel have called for calm, urging both Jewish and Arab residents to avoid violence. But Palestinians inside Israel say the road to peace must include recognition of their identity and equal rights, not just a temporary pause in fighting.