Some residents of the West Bank and Jerusalem woke up Thursday with hope and joy after Israel and Hamas had agreed to the “first phase” of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan to pause fighting and release the hostages.

Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

Omar Awadallah, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs called for the end of bloodshed and said the peace plan a "step toward the right direction".

"The priority that has been always a priority for the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people is to stop the killing, the genocide, stop the famine," he told the Associated Press.

Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza, paving the way for a pause in the fighting and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

In the streets of Ramallah, Palestinians greeted the news cautiously as a possible breakthrough in ending the devastating 2-year-old war.

"God willing, it (the agreement) will be implemented. But based on what we’ve seen throughout history, we know that the Israelis neither keep promises nor commitments," said Ramallah resident Wael Abdullah.

He feared that the truce might fall apart after the Israeli hostages are returned.

In Jerusalem, thousands of observant Jews have streamed into the old city to mark the holiday of Sukkot at the Wall, with extra rejoicing for the upcoming release of the hostages in Gaza.

"We are so excited this morning, we cried all morning," said Sharon Canot, a resident.

Sukkot explicitly encourages Jews to rejoice, and many saw divine intervention in the timing of the announcement.

Others were more skeptical.

David Agmon, a retired general, said that there have been many times when a deal was "on the edge" but didn't materialize.

Therefore, while he is hopeful, he has some reservations.

Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan advanced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump — such as whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza.

But the sides appear closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and brought famine to parts of it, and triggered other conflicts across the Middle East.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has sparked worldwide protests and increasingly isolated Israel, as well as bringing allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

AP video by Alon Bernstein, Moshe Edri and Imad Isseid,