In a post on his Truth Social platform yesterday (NZ time), United States President Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas had both signed off on the first phase of the US-led proposed Gaza peace plan.
That meant all of the hostages would be released "very soon" and Israel would withdraw its troops to an agreed-upon line, Mr Trump said.
Dunedin Palestinian protest organiser Rinad Tamimi said she hoped the announcement was true and it would actually last.
"Whether it’s phase 1, 2 or 3 — we want this to stop.
"We want the killing, the bombing, the starvation to stop.
"I’m just hoping that there won’t be another heartbreak after this."
Tuesday marked the two-year anniversary since Hamas militants attacked Israel.
Ms Tamimi said the Palestinian community was at a point where they did not know what kind of agreement could fix what had happened over the past two years.
"Nothing will bring back the loved ones. Nothing will bring back the memories, the dreams, the hopes, the people — the precious people that we have all lost in this war.
"But, of course, there’s hoping."
The community had been calling for at least a ceasefire all this time, but even that would not stop them from continuing with action until more was achieved, she said.
Asked about Mr Trump’s involvement, Ms Tamimi said: "Unfortunately, we can’t really control that — I wish we could".
"But at the end of the day, we should really highlight who is supporting all of this, which is the United States altogether."
It was too soon to judge whether Mr Trump should receive any credit, she said.
The announcement "might be a face for show, again" and it would not be the first time an agreement was broken.
She expected praying and "a lot of tears", both happy and anxious, in the coming days.
"I hope it gets to a stage where the children of Gaza can look to the sky and not see bombs and just see birds."
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters called the announcement "an essential first step towards achieving lasting peace".
He commended the efforts of the parties involved in the negotiations, including the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
The government had "long called" for the release of all the hostages and for a ceasefire and the parties had to now deliver on their promises, Mr Peters said.
"There has been a lot of protest in New Zealand over the past two years relating to the situation in Gaza.
"We look forward to all those protesters, and their political allies in Parliament, joining the government in applauding the deal that has been struck."
