"What will you do on the first day of the ceasefire?" the reporter asks children standing in front of a devastated landscape of rubble in North Gaza.

"I want to visit my mother's grave," says one young boy. "I want to sleep alone in my bed without hearing the sounds of missiles as they drop on us," says a young girl clad in a furry pink jumper. "I wish my school would be rebuilt so I could see my friends and play football," says another with a small, toothy smile.

More than one in 50 people in Gaza have been killed so far. They number at least 47,000, though some analysts place the death toll at more than 70,000 - or one in 35 inhabitants.¹ At least 18,000 of the dead were children. More than 100,000 have been injured and 85,000 tonnes of explosives have been dropped on the tiny territory.

The scale of the horror in Gaza has been breathtaking. UNRWA, the United NationsAn international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world. body supporting Palestinian refugees, said that 10 children per day have lost one or both legs during the war. They have been undergoing amputations and operations without anaesthesiaA loss of feeling or awareness caused by drugs or other substances. as a result of Israel's blockadeSealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving. .²

And now, a tentativeUnconfirmed or hesitant. , fragile ceasefire - a modest 700-word document upon which the lives of two million people depend.³ It will allow for displaced Palestinians to return to what remains of their homes, receive much-needed food and medicine through aid convoys, and to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment if necessary.

The first stage of the deal will also see an exchange of hostages and prisoners, and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Stage two is designed to facilitate "a permanent end to the war", according to US President Biden, including the full withdrawal of Israeli troops.

It is not yet set in stone. Israel's cabinet has delayed a planned meeting to ratify the agreement after last- minute disputes with HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK., and the country's far-right national security minister is threatening to resign. Israel has also continued its attacks on Gaza, killing more than 70 people.

Despite this, on Wednesday crowds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza and across the world to celebrate the deal. They hugged their relatives, cried tears of grief and joy, sang songs and waved flags.

"I can finally take off this helmet which has exhausted me, this armour which became a part of my body," said an Al Jazeera journalist live on air as he was picked up and embraced by fellow Palestinians. At least 220 Palestinian journalists have been killed during the war in Gaza.⁴

Who is to thank for the miraculous deal? Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have claimed credit. Biden has been promising a ceasefire for many months, and many wondered why it had been implemented just days before Trump's inauguration on 20 January.

There were colourful stories of Trump's billionaire envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, rapidly negotiating a ceasefire deal with all the brusqueAbrupt or offhand in speech or manner. no-nonsense of a successful businessman, overshadowing more than a year of diplomacy under Biden.⁵

But nobody yet knows if the deal will hold. For the next few days before the ceasefire comes into effect, the bombing will continue. And many Western commentators fear that war could resume after the first phase, lasting 42 days, is over.

Will the peace last?

Yes: This is easily the most significant event in the war so far. Israel can see that Trump is going to take a far tougher approach to its actions in Gaza, and will not risk further military operations.

No: Israel has proved that it is reluctant to end its bloodthirsty occupation of Gaza. It might have been strong-armed into a ceasefire, but it will certainly only see this as temporary.

Or... A ceasefire is not peace. A ceasefire only means that fighting has halted. Lasting peace means a permanent end to conflict, as well as justice and acknowledgement for the many innocent lives claimed.

United Nations - An international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world.

Anaesthesia - A loss of feeling or awareness caused by drugs or other substances.

Blockade - Sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving.

Tentative - Unconfirmed or hesitant.

Hamas - A militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.

Brusque - Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner.