Israelis gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday to show solidarity with those still held in Gaza, hoping for their safe return following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

A Tel Aviv resident, visibly emotional, said the ordeal had become unbearable.

“I feel that I just cannot breathe anymore. I can’t proceed with my life since that happened. I need them back, so I came here today," said Maayan Eliasi.

“I really want them to see the families rest, hugging their people or just putting them to burial," she added.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.

The broader ceasefire plan includes many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza.

But the sides appeared closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led assault, and 251 were taken hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children.

AP video shot by Srdjan Nedeljkovic