After weeks of escalation, a ceasefire has taken effect in Gaza. Displaced Palestinians are just beginning—cautiously, often without established home or course—settling into the true ruins of their anticipated return. The ceasefire comes after the Israeli cabinet approved a hostages-for-prisoners deal. This landmark deal is poised to become a potential game-changer in an unrelenting conflict. Then-President Donald Trump heralded the deal as the cornerstone to a wider US-generated peace plan. He is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday.
In response, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma recently expressed her alarm over the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza. With the recent extension of the ceasefire, aid deliveries are expected to dramatically increase. She underscored the critical need for assistance. Thousands of bodies almost assuredly lie underneath the rubble of leveled structures. The war has devastated Gaza, with more than 90 percent of buildings either destroyed or severely damaged. We see that the region’s infrastructure has experienced near-complete destruction as well.
The ceasefire follows the most dramatic increase in Israeli bombardment for the entire conflict, peaking Friday morning. Israeli forces will be allowed to keep control over 53% of Gaza in the early withdrawal phase. This will go until hostages are freed. Many, including insiders, cast a skeptical eye on the deal. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad as well as PFLP and other leftists roundly dismissed proposals for some sort of “foreign guardianship” over Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on the hostages-for-prisoners deal, taking personal credit for its approval. He stated, “I believed that if we applied heavy military pressure, combined with heavy diplomatic pressure, we would absolutely be able to return all of our hostages.” In his war aims, Netanyahu insisted the disarming of Hamas. He announced that if they could not reach demilitarization through negotiations, military action would ensue.
On the ground in Gaza, residents like Asmaa Zuheir and Ahmed al-Brim are grappling with the reality of returning to their neighborhoods. Asmaa recounted her experience on the road home: “On the road, I saw someone returning. When he first spotted his own house intact from several miles away, he reportedly started running and dancing for joy. She expressed her sorrow at returning to find her own house completely destroyed, stating, “At that moment, I felt pain because I was returning to my area knowing my house was already completely destroyed.”
Ahmed al-Brim echoed this sentiment, stating, “We went to our area – it was exterminated.” His uncertainty about the future was palpable as he added, “We don’t know where we will go after that.” Such sentiments are a reminder of the deep personal, emotional price this war has exacted on non-combatants.
Muhannad al-Shawaf said there’s destruction everywhere, “huge and indescribable.” The overwhelming nature of this destruction has many survivors and first responders alike questioning—often helplessly—how to even process the staggering loss.
In addition to the human cost, more than 67,000 people lost their lives due to the conflict, mostly civilians. Humanitarian aid is finally beginning to flow into Gaza. We are told by Israeli army radio that plans are underway for 600 aid trucks a day to go into the area. This surge in humanitarian assistance is an essential lifeline for families who have lost nearly all.
The geopolitical context for this delicate ceasefire is no less complicated. It offers concrete steps to stabilize Gaza while addressing the underlying tensions that feed hostilities. Basel Naim, spokesperson for one of multiple Hamas factions, threatened the unprecedented. He demanded that they lay down arms only to an authentic Palestinian state. He stated emphatically that “our fighters can be integrated into the Palestinian national army,” reflecting aspirations for a unified Palestinian front.
The ceasefire is a moment of tentative hope in a region long marred by violent conflict. As residents start to trickle back, they face the overwhelming task of rebuilding their lives in a landscape turned to rubble. The world watches closely as developments unfold in Gaza and diplomatic efforts continue to shape the future of the region.