As the Truth Continues, Gazans and Israelis Express Elation Tinged with Skepticism

As peace took hold Sunday in Gaza, potentially ending the century’s longest and deadliest war in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two men used the same metaphor to describe their feelings.

“The weight on my chest has increased,” said Ziad Obeid, a Gazan civil servant who was fired several times during the war. “We survived.”

“The rock in my heart has been removed,” said Dov Weissglas, a former Israeli politician. “We want to see the hostages at home, period.”

But – both men are also “but” – Mr. Obeid has not seen his destroyed house in northern Gaza for over a year. Did you wonder how bad the damage was? And who will rebuild the demolished Gaza?

Mr. Weissglas was concerned about the condition of the captives who would be gradually released over the next few weeks from the mudflats in the area. And he was saddened by the exchange of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. “There is relief,” he said, “wrapped in caution, fear and anxiety.”

It was an apt summary of the mood on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide on Sunday, as Israelis and Palestinians expressed mixed feelings of joy and skepticism.

For the Palestinians, the deal is expected to provide at least six weeks without strikes in Gaza. That provides a window for Gazans to take the first steps towards reconstruction; finding relatives still buried in the rubble; and agreeing to the killing of more than 45,000 people, civilians and fighters, whose bodies have been counted by the Gazan health authorities.

In Israel, the agreement allows for the gradual release of 33 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 – an attack that killed up to 1,200 people and sparked a devastating 15-month Israeli response. For captives released alive, that means freedom after 470 days of captivity. In Israel at large, many of whom suffer some form of survivor’s guilt, it provides a fitting catharsis.

But the details of the deal between Israel and Hamas mean that both sides still face a lot of uncertainty about how the next six weeks will play out, let alone whether the temporary arrangement will last forever. Even the first phase started hours late on Sunday morning, amid arguments over which hostages would be released in the afternoon. Meanwhile, according to Gazan authorities, Israeli strikes killed and injured more people.

The Palestinians are still unclear about the fate of several thousand Gazans who have been held incommunicado during the war and who may not be released during the upcoming exchange. Reema Diab, a housewife in central Gaza, still has no way of finding her husband, a horse trainer, who she says was taken to Israel for interrogation in December 2023 and has never heard from him.

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

A few kilometers away, Mr. Weissglas feared the fate of some 65 hostages who may not be released from Gaza if the deal collapses after six weeks. He was worried that many of the first 33 hostages to be released in the next 42 days might be emotionally or physically scarred, or die. He also bemoaned the cost of their freedom, which will be gained in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of major terrorist attacks and youths who have never been charged.

Palestinians see the soon-to-be-released prisoners as freedom fighters. For Israel, it will be a shock to see “this series of murderers released,” Mr. Weissglas.

Videos of Hamas fighters triumphantly emerging from hiding were also a gut-punch for Israelis, who had hoped that the war would completely destroy the group’s military power. For many Gazans, it was a sight to be celebrated, but for others, it was a reminder of the ongoing uncertainty about Gaza’s future governance.

Mr. Obeid works for the Palestinian Authority, which lost power to Hamas in Gaza 18 years ago but still employs other civil servants there, including Mr Obeid. He said he was working with the leaders of the authorities in the West Bank to organize cleaning and reconstruction programs in Gaza in the coming days. It is not clear if that will happen as Hamas is still in power for the next six weeks.

But that is the challenge of tomorrow, said Mr. Obeid.

For now, he said, “I can breathe oxygen again.”

Bilal Shbair contributed reporting from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, and Aaron Boxman in Jerusalem.