A ceasefire in Gaza may shortly take effect. 

Israel would then pull some of its troops out of Gaza. That withdrawal would start a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages. 

President Trump has told his cabinet getting the hostages back will be "a complicated process." 

Holding out hope he will see his son again is Ruby Chen, a Brooklyn man whose son Itay was serving in the IDF when Hamas attacked Israel two years ago. 

"We still have that glimmer of hope that maybe some miracle will happen, but we are preparing ourselves for the alternative," Chen said. 

The family had been previously told by the IDF he was presumed dead. Hamas has not given an update. 

Chen also says the terror organization has claimed it cannot find some of the bodies it is holding. 

"On the one hand, it's excitement, because we see the finish line. Anticipation, but also anxiety," Chen said. 

For Izzy Karten, the feeling is one of cautious optimism. The Upper East Side resident proudly wears his pin supporting the hostages. However, in exchange for the hostages, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails. Among them is Hamas terrorrist Jamal al-Hur, who kidnapped, mutilated and murdered Karten's uncle Sharon Edri in 1996. He was 20. 

Al-Hur went on to to kill others in other attacks, even after being released from jail once before. 

"They're going to regroup and commit more attacks," Karten said. "It's an emergency that we have to get as much attention as possible." 

"This is an important moment"

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director for the Council on American Islamic Relations, applauded the deal. 

"This is an important moment and it was long overdue. The genocide in Gaza should have ended long ago. The hostages and captives should have gone free," Mitchell said. 

He commended people who spoke out for Gazans like demonstrators at college campuses. 

"Sadly, the Israeli government, even to this moment, is continuing to bomb Gaza completely unnecessarily because the cabinet has not approved the ceasefire deal. It's purely sadistic for anyone else to die in a war that's supposed to be over," Mitchell said. 

The second phase is still being negotiated. Gazans want to see the IDF withdraw completely, and Israelis want to see Hamas eliminated. Everyone agrees, for now, the priority is ending the violence.