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When Arij al-Farra learned that Hamas had conditionally acceded to Donald Trump's plan and that the United States had instructed Israel to cease bombing in Gaza, her initial response was a spark of hope. Immediately after that, she felt an explosion. An Israeli warplane had released a bomb close to her shelter in southern Gaza.

While luck saved al-Farra from fatal injury, she interpreted the incident as an negative omen for ceasefire prospects in the territory.

"I feel like we are trapped in a situation with no way out. Regardless of Hamas agrees or not, we remain unsafe. There has been no reduction in attack intensity, no Israeli aircraft has left from the airspace," explained the young English teacher who had been forced to flee to Khan Younis.

Al-Farra was far from alone in her skepticism regarding recent announcement that Hamas's conditional agreement of the American plan would result in an conclusion to the long-running war in Gaza.

Hamas's agreement to free all hostages and surrender authority was praised by Trump and many in the international community as a important move toward resolution.

However the people of Gaza have endured similar situations before.

On multiple occasions, Trump has assured that a ceasefire was days away, only for negotiations to suddenly fail. Israel broke a month-and-a-half ceasefire at the beginning of the year when it independently chose to restart fighting in March and besiege the territory, causing starvation in areas of Gaza, as reported by leading humanitarian organizations.

"I hold minimal faith in this deal, since every time we near a truce, an event occurs that alters the course of arrangements," al-Farra clarified.

Despite these reservations, some could not help but believe that this development might ultimately bring about an end to the conflict that has claimed over 67,000 people, wounded approximately 170,000 others, and resulted in the majority of Gaza destroyed.

"I feel optimistic and expect that this time the agreement will be more substantial than earlier attempts," said Abu Faris, a middle-aged media professional residing in northern Gaza. "Progress in the ceasefire deal would be a favorable outcome. It would satisfy the demands of the local population and provide civilians in the north a sense of hope and safety."

If completely implemented, Trump's proposal to halt the hostilities in Gaza would be deeply unfavorable to Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

"We feel a feeling of mistrust because this plan was prepared by US hands and the war itself has continued with clear American support. The proposal clearly serves Israel's objectives and does not include any meaningful measures for the Palestinian people," observed Dr. Ashraf Maghari, a 48-year-old professor at the local university.

However, for the majority of the weary inhabitants of Gaza, neither political considerations nor the survival of Hamas were the priority.

"Our priority at present is to end the war completely. If Hamas has to sacrifice itself to accomplish that, then it must bear the results of its decisions," said Abu Faris.

He had already experienced the death of numerous of his close relatives in the war, and had been displaced repeatedly, on every occasion returning to find his home more damaged. He might stand to lose much more if hostilities did not cease soon, as he was in northern Gaza, where Israeli bombardment are severe.

Several global organizations, including a UN commission, several humanitarian groups, and leading atrocity scholars have determined that Israel has carried out genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegation and claims it has solely acted in self-protection. It initially launched the war on Gaza after Hamas-led groups murdered about 1,200 people and captured 251 prisoners in an attack on 7 October 2023.

Neither Abu Faris nor al-Farra believed that Israel would engage in talks an end to the war in good faith, nor that it would lead to independence for the Palestinian people. For al-Farra in particular, the idea of disarmament was a worrying issue.

Nonetheless, if it led to an cessation to the nearly continuous shelling of their communities, each said that the deal would be acceptable.

"Stopping the conflict for me is not about silencing our rights. It is about having a moment of relief, reorganising ourselves, our lives, our goals and our perspectives," al-Farra concluded.