As a ceasefire took hold in Gaza on Sunday, potentially ending the century’s longest and deadliest war in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two men used the same metaphor to describe how they felt.

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

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

But – both also had a “but” – Mr Obeid has not seen his damaged house in northern Gaza for more than a year. How big is the damage, he wondered? And who will rebuild the decimated Gaza?

Mr. Weissglas was concerned about the condition of the hostages who would be gradually released over the next few weeks from the territory’s wet districts. And he grimaced about exchanging them for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, many of whom are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. “There is relief,” he said, “wrapped up in caution, fears, and concerns.”

It was an apt summation of the mood on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide on Sunday, as Israelis and Palestinians expressed feelings of elation tinged with doubt.

For the Palestinians, the truce is theoretically expected to ensure at least six weeks without attacks on Gaza. This offers space for the people of Gaza to take the first tentative steps towards rebuilding; to find relatives still buried in the rubble; and come to terms with the killing of more than 45,000 people, civilians and combatants, whose bodies have already been counted by the Gaza health authorities.

For the Israelis, the deal allows for the gradual release of at least 33 hostages taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel — an attack that killed up to 1,200 people and sparked a devastating 15-month Israeli response. For the hostages released alive, this means freedom after 470 days of captivity. For Israelis in general, many of whom are afflicted with a form of survivor’s guilt, it offers a qualified catharsis.

But the details of the deal between Israel and Hamas mean both sides still face considerable uncertainty about how the next six weeks will play out, let alone whether the tentative deal will become permanent later on. Even the first phase began hours later on Sunday morning, amid arguments over which hostages would be freed in the afternoon. At that time, according to the Gaza authorities, Israeli attacks killed and wounded even more people.

The fate of several thousand Gazans held in solitary confinement during the war and who may not be released during upcoming exchanges remains unclear to Palestinians. Reema Diab, a housewife in central Gaza, is still unable to locate her husband, a horse trainer, who she said was taken to Israel for questioning in December 2023 and has not been heard from since.

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

A few dozen miles away, Mr. Weissglas feared for the fate of some 65 hostages who may not be released from Gaza if the deal collapses after six weeks. He worried that many of the initial 33 hostages to be freed over the next 42 days could be emotionally or physically damaged, or even dead. He also complained about the price of their freedom, which they will receive in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of major terrorist attacks, as well as teenagers who have never been charged.

Palestinians see the soon-to-be-released prisoners as freedom fighters. It will be a psychological blow for Israelis to see “this spate of killers unleashed,” Weissglas said.

Videos of Hamas fighters emerging triumphantly from hiding were also a gut punch to Israelis, who had hoped the war would completely destroy the group’s military capabilities. For many Gazans, it was a sight to celebrate, but for others it was a reminder of the lingering 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 some civil servants there, including Mr. Obeid. He said he had been working with West Bank government leaders to plan potential clearing and reconstruction operations in Gaza in the coming days. It is not clear, he said, whether that will be possible with Hamas still in power during the next six weeks.

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

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

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