One year has passed since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect. The ceasefire agreement, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and Arab allies, raised hopes that the war would come to an end.
One year has passed since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect. The ceasefire agreement, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and Arab allies, raised hopes that the war would come to an end. However, Israeli attacks continue, and peace remains a distant prospect in the devastated territory. The agreement halted large-scale military operations, secured the release of all remaining living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and somewhat improved access for humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, key provisions concerning the disarmament of Hamas, the establishment of a new Palestinian administration, and the end of Israeli control over more than half of the territory have yet to be implemented. Reconstruction in the war-ravaged coastal enclave has also remained virtually nonexistent.
Israel maintains that progress on other issues depends on the complete disarmament of Hamas. It is worth noting that Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries and entities, including the United States and the European Union. Hamas, for its part, does not recognize Israel's existence. Hamas and the Trump administration, meanwhile, argue that these measures should be implemented simultaneously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his position over the summer, even opposing his key ally, Trump. Elections are also scheduled to take place in Israel this month.
Amid this political deadlock, nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza continue to live in uncertainty. Most are sheltering in rodent-infested tent camps, among the rubble of their destroyed neighborhoods, or inside buildings at risk of collapse. In Jabalia, in northern Gaza, Abdullah Abu Zubeida and his family are living in a makeshift shelter constructed from the rubble of their home. He said, “When the ceasefire began last October, we expected the war to stop, deadly attacks to end, and humanitarian aid to arrive.” According to him, none of those expectations has been fulfilled. Nauman Abu Jarad, who moved with his family from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza to the southern city of Khan Younis, has also found no clear path home as a result of the ceasefire. He and his family, including five daughters, are still living in tents.
The 20-point agreement, reached after months of negotiations under the Biden and Trump administrations, brought an end to large-scale military operations and secured the return of all remaining Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack. That attack triggered the current war. The Hamas-led attackers killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage that day. Israel responded with extensive aerial bombardment and ground operations. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
The ministry operates under the Hamas-run administration. United Nations agencies and independent experts generally consider its casualty records reliable, although the figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. According to the ministry, approximately half of those killed were women and children. After the ceasefire agreement was announced, Trump expressed hope for a new era of cooperation in the Middle East. Speaking at a summit held in connection with the agreement, he said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put old rivalries and bitter hatreds behind us.”
Under the agreement, Hamas was supposed to transfer power to a committee comprising Palestinian administrators, subject to the approval of the Board of Peace, headed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The body was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas formally dissolved its government in July, but retained its civil servants and administrative structure. In approximately 40 percent of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military does not exercise control, Hamas remains the most powerful force. Meanwhile, Israel has prevented the new Palestinian administration from entering Gaza through Egypt.
The establishment of an international stabilization force in Gaza was announced in February, but the force has yet to be formed. Indonesia had pledged to contribute 8,000 troops, but suspended its plans last spring after international attention shifted elsewhere because of the war involving Iran. Under the agreement, Israel was supposed to withdraw its troops from Gaza. Instead, it seized additional territory and pushed the so-called “Yellow Line” farther west, toward the Mediterranean Sea.
The Israeli military has also continued to regularly target people accused of violating the ceasefire, approaching the Yellow Line, or participating in the October 7 attack. Many of those killed in these strikes have been civilians. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect. During the same period, five Israeli soldiers were also killed in intermittent attacks in Gaza.
In July, Trump announced an agreement aimed at disarming Hamas, describing it as a significant breakthrough in a peace process that had been stalled for a long time. The agreement called for Hamas’s disarmament to be implemented “gradually, in stages, and within a specified timeframe,” linking the process to a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas agreed to disarm for the first time, but conditioned its commitment on Israel halting its attacks and withdrawing its troops from Gaza. A few days later, Netanyahu announced that Israel would not withdraw from any part of Gaza until Hamas had been completely disarmed. In doing so, he openly rejected the agreement announced by Trump.
This unusual disagreement between the two allies emerged as Netanyahu sought to maintain the support of his nationalist supporters ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. The election could also mark the end of his lengthy political career in Israel. Netanyahu faces intense criticism over security and intelligence failures that preceded the October 7 attack. His opponents accuse him of having been too lenient toward Hamas. In these circumstances, the scope for even limited compromises over Gaza has narrowed, at least until a new government is formed, a process that could take several months. For now, reconstruction in Gaza has barely begun, Hamas remains in power despite being weakened, and the possibility of a resumption of the war has not been ruled out.
