Updated October 9, 2025 at 7:03 AM PDT

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of a ceasefire deal intended to end the devastating Gaza war that unleashed the deadliest fighting ever between Israelis and Palestinians.

After two years of bloodshed, large majorities in Israel and the Palestinian territories welcome the end to the brutal conflict. Some people stayed up late into the night awaiting the ceasefire announcement, which came at around 2 a.m. Others woke to the news on a rainy morning. The agreement prompted relief, hope, joy and celebrations on both sides after two years of agony.

Yet for some, the pain of the war is still raw.

A man in Gaza, Abu Ahmed Eid, told NPR, "What exactly should I be happy for with all the blood that's been shed and all the

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