Gazans and Israelis express excitement mixed with skepticism as truce comes to fruition

As a Gaza ceasefire on Sunday promises to end the longest and deadliest war in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a century, two men used the same metaphor to describe their feelings.

“A weight has been lifted off my chest,” said Ziad Obeid, a Gaza civil servant who was displaced several times during the war. “We survived.”

“The stone that was weighing on my heart has been lifted,” said Dov Weissglas, a former Israeli politician. “We want to see the hostages come home, period.”

But – and both men had a “but” – Mr Obeid has not seen his damaged house in northern Gaza for more than a year. How serious was the damage, he wanted to know? Who will rebuild the devastated Gaza?

Weissglass is concerned about the condition of the hostages, who will be gradually released from their dank residences in the area over the coming weeks. He also grimaced at exchanging those prisoners for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, many of whom are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. “There’s a sense of relief,” he said, “but there’s also a lot of caution, fear and concern.”

That was an apt summary of the mood on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide on Sunday, with both Israelis and Palestinians expressing a mixture of skeptical elation.

For the Palestinians, a truce is theoretically expected to provide at least six weeks without Gaza being attacked. It provides a window as Gazans take their first tentative steps toward reconstruction; search for loved ones still buried in the rubble; and come to terms with the killing of more than 45,000 people, including civilians and combatants, Gaza Health Authorities have counted their bodies.

For Israelis, the deal allows for the gradual release of at least 33 hostages captured by Hamas during an October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed up to 1,200 people and triggered a 15-month devastating reaction. For the hostages who were released alive, it meant freedom after 470 days in captivity. For a broad swath of Israelis, many of whom suffer from survivor’s guilt, it provides qualified catharsis.

But the details of the deal between Israel and Hamas mean both sides still face considerable uncertainty over where they will go in the next six weeks, let alone whether the temporary arrangement will become permanent. The first phase started several hours later than Sunday morning due to disputes over which hostages would be released in the afternoon. According to Gaza authorities, Israeli attacks at that time caused more casualties.

Palestinians remain unclear about the fate of thousands of Gazans held incommunicado during the war and may not be released in the upcoming exchanges. Reema Diab, a housewife in central Gaza who still has not been able to find her horse trainer husband, said she was taken to Israel for questioning in December 2023 and never heard from again.

“I am relieved that the bloodshed is coming to an end, but my heart aches,” Ms. Diab said. “His absence is unimaginable.”

Dozens of miles away, Mr. Weisglass worries about the fate of some 65 hostages who may not be released from Gaza if the deal collapses in six weeks. He fears many of the original 33 hostages to be released within the next 42 days may be emotionally or physically traumatized or even killed. He paid the price for their freedom, which would be in exchange for Palestinian detainees, including those convicted of major terror attacks and teenagers who were never charged.

Palestinians view the soon-to-be-released prisoners as freedom fighters. Weisglass said it would be a psychological blow for Israelis to see “this group of murderers released.”

The footage of Hamas fighters emerging from hiding was also a blow to Israelis, who had hoped the war would completely destroy the group’s military capabilities. For many Gazans it was a celebratory sight, but for others it was a reminder of lingering uncertainty about Gaza’s future governance.

Mr. Obeid works for the Palestinian Authority, which seized power in Gaza 18 years ago when Hamas seized power but still employs a number of civil servants there, including Mr. Obeid. He said he had been working with authorities leaders in the West Bank to plan potential cleanup and reconstruction operations in Gaza in the coming days. He said it was unclear whether it was possible for Hamas to remain in power for the next six weeks.

But that is tomorrow’s challenge, Mr. Obeid said.

Now, he said, “I can breathe oxygen again.”

Pilar Speyer Reporting from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip and Aaron Boxerman From Jerusalem.