It's been a year since a ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump and Arab allies promised to end the Gaza war, but the agreement has failed to deliver on its promises. The deal halted major military operations, freed all remaining captives, and increased humanitarian access, but a new Palestinian administration aided by international forces, the disarmament of Hamas, and an end to Israel's control over more than half the territory have not materialized.
The Israeli war on Gaza, which erupted on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, with women and children making up around half the dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry maintains detailed records and is seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Despite early success, the ceasefire has not led to a lasting peace, with Israel launching deadly strikes on the territory and Hamas remaining the dominant power in Gaza.
The agreement called for Hamas to hand over power to a committee of Palestinian administrators vetted by the Board of Peace, a new body chaired by Trump and charged with implementing the ceasefire. However, the militants officially dissolved their government in July but left the civil service intact, and Israel has barred the new Palestinian administration from entering Gaza. The formation of an International Stabilisation Force was announced in February but has yet to materialize.
Israel has tied any progress on the other issues to Hamas' complete disarmament, while the militant group and the Trump administration say they should happen simultaneously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his stance over the summer, openly defying Trump, his most important ally, ahead of Israeli elections later this month. The wrangling has left Gaza's 2 million Palestinians in limbo, with most sheltering in rodent-infested tent camps or war-damaged buildings at risk of collapse.
Israeli strikes have killed over 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Sporadic attacks have killed five Israeli soldiers in Gaza in the same period. In July, Trump announced a deal to disarm Hamas, portraying it as a breakthrough in the long-stalled process. However, Netanyahu announced that Israel would not withdraw from any part of Gaza until after Hamas has been completely disarmed, explicitly rejecting the agreement announced by Trump.
The rare instance of friction between the two allies came as Netanyahu seeks to shore up his nationalist base ahead of October 27 elections that could end his nearly unbroken 17-year rule, the longest in Israel's history. Netanyahu has come under fire over security and intelligence failures leading up to the October 7 attack, with opponents accusing him of having been soft on Hamas. This gives him little space to make even minor compromises on Gaza, at least until a new government is formed, which could take months.
In the meantime, virtually nothing has been rebuilt in Gaza, Hamas is weakened but still in power, and a return to fighting cannot be ruled out. The situation remains dire, with Gaza's 2 million Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis. Egypt has dispatched over 2,979 tonnes of Gaza aid in 291st convoy, but much more needs to be done to address the suffering of the Palestinian people. The international community is calling for a renewed effort to implement the ceasefire agreement and bring lasting peace to the region.
Key points
- The US-brokered ceasefire has failed to deliver on its promises of a new Palestinian administration, disarmament of Hamas, and an end to Israel's control over Gaza.
- Israel has launched deadly strikes on Gaza, killing over 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, and has tied progress on disarmament to Hamas' complete disarmament.
- The situation in Gaza remains dire, with 2 million Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis and little progress made on rebuilding or disarmament.
