oneMillions of people in Gaza anxiously awaited confirmation on Thursday whether a hostage ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was moving forward amid ongoing airstrikes, bitter cold and news of delays.

Many say they fear hopes for a fresh start after 15 months of conflict may be dashed. The war has killed tens of thousands of people in the region and left large areas in ruins.

"So far, news about the deal is tense... so we follow the news 24 hours a day. There is a chance that the deal will fail because the Israelis don't want Gaza and its people to rest and breathe." Muhammad Hebir, 37 al-Hebbil, said he was displaced from his home in the northern town of Beit Lahiya to Gaza City early in the war.

After months of fruitless negotiations, Qatar announced the deal on Wednesday, which if finalized would suspend hostilities a day before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday.

Concerns were heightened on Thursday after reports that Israel accused Hamas of violating parts of the deal and that the Israeli cabinet had not yet met to ratify it.

"Everyone now wants to go to bed and wake up on Sunday when the fighting stops. It's very difficult to wait," Hebir said.

Palestinians in Gaza report heavy Israeli bombardment. In past conflicts in the territory, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire as a way to project power and inflict last-minute losses on their enemies.

Khebir, who lives in a tent inside the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City, said he witnessed the aftermath of an attack and described "very difficult and painful scenes".

"Since the agreement, the bombings around us have not stopped," Hebir said. "I saw the bodies of a young man and his brother who had been killed in the targeting last night. He was screaming at him: 'Why are you leaving now? I came to tell you the war is over.'

Gaza officials said nearly 80 people have been killed since the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, bringing the total number of Israeli offensive personnel to more than 46,700, mostly civilians.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) was a bloody day and today is even bloodier," said Zaheer Wahdi, head of the registration department at the health ministry.

The war was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took 251 people hostage, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, and 34 of whom the Israeli military said were dead.

Saeed Aloush, who lives in northern Gaza, said he and his relatives "were waiting for the truce and were happy" until the nighttime attack killed his relatives. "This is the happiest night since October 7," he said, until "we received the news of the martyrdom of 40 members of the Aloush family."

The recent cooler nighttime temperatures and lack of shelter have heightened the sense of foreboding. Few people in Gaza have gas, electricity or even firewood to heat their homes.

Ashraf Ahmed Fuaad, 49, said he was sitting with his family in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, "in the freezing cold."

"We wait for news of a formal ceasefire like waiting for the moon to rise and dispel the darkness of a night without electricity and life," said the father of three. "I hope that a ceasefire will eventually be achieved and that peace will be achieved not only in Gaza but throughout the Middle East."

Humanitarian agencies have called for "substantial assistance" following the ceasefire. There are severe shortages of medicine, fuel, food and other basic necessities across Gaza.

The conflict has displaced about 90 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million people, many of whom are at risk of famine. Tent camps now dot what were once beaches and fields. Nearly all of the region's infrastructure - power cables, sewers, water pipes - was destroyed, as was much of the health care system. Aid workers have described some formerly busy cities as "moonscapes".

"We are waiting for the opening of the crossings (from Egypt and Israel into Gaza) and the entry of necessities. Finally, the fear, anxiety and terror we have been experiencing will end," Fouad said.

It is unclear who will run Gaza after the war ends and who will pay for reconstruction. A UN assessment earlier this year found that clearing Gaza's rubble alone would take a fleet of 100 trucks 15 years to clear and cost between $500m (£394m) and $600m. between. Experts say a full rebuild could take 30 years or more.

Many in Gaza fear that Israel will resume hostilities when the first of the three phases of the ceasefire ends.

"I'm still not optimistic, I feel that even if the agreement is signed, we will be betrayed and the ceasefire will be canceled," said Eman, a 19-year-old medical student from the Jabaliya community, as well as the heavy bombing in recent months. .

"I am very worried that the war will return if Israel captures the prisoners. I am worried that it will fail. I pray to God with all my heart that it will succeed."