The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire and Uncertain Future of Gaza
Noa Argamani (left) and Avinatan Or (right) reunited this week after the couple was kidnapped over two years ago during Hamas’ attack on the Nova music festival, part of the widespread Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Argamani was rescued along with three other prisoners on June 8, 2024, and Or was released by Hamas following the Oct. 10 ceasefire. Photo Courtesy of the IDF’s official X/Twitter page (@IDF)
Michael Oliss | News Editor
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered last week, remains in effect as both sides contend with conflicting responses, disputed terms, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The ceasefire, which took effect Oct. 10, calls for Hamas to disarm and transfer power to an internationally supervised authority that has yet to be formed. Hamas has not fully accepted the conditions, citing lawlessness in areas Israel has withdrawn from as a reason to remain armed. Those areas, ravaged by two years of war and severe shortages, have become hotspots for crime as residents scramble for resources.
On Wednesday, clashes were reported between Hamas and another armed group in Gaza. Speaking to reporters, President Donald Trump minimized the skirmish: “That didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you. They will disarm, and if they don’t, we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently.”
Aid trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday as Israel prepared to reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt, easing tensions over the return of Israeli hostage bodies that threatened the ceasefire. Israel has warned it would restrict aid if Hamas delayed handovers. After Hamas returned more bodies overnight, Israeli officials said preparations were underway to reopen the crossing for Gazan civilians.
The two-year war, triggered by a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, left more than 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages taken. Israel launched extensive counteroffensives, which devastated Gaza’s health infrastructure. Hospitals were decimated by missile fire and hundreds of medical staff were detained. Health Workers Watch reported that at least 115 medical personnel remain in Israeli custody, while four died in detention.
Israel released more than 240 prisoners from the West Bank and exiled 154 to Egypt before the ceasefire, according to NPR. However, some Palestinian doctors and hospital staff remain detained, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled. Speaking to CBS News this week, he framed the conflict as a battle against groups “committed to our destruction” and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state, saying it would allow “jihadists [to] take over.” Netanyahu, along with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, has expressed support for relocating Gaza’s population to neighboring countries. Smotrich previously stated that Gaza “will be totally destroyed” and suggested that Palestinians should seek “relocation to begin a new life in other places.”
Trump, who addressed the Israeli Knesset on Oct. 13, expressed optimism about the ceasefire, saying the “long and painful nightmare is finally over” and praising Israel’s handling of the conflict. “You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won,” he told the legislature, adding that it would mark a “golden age of Israel, and the golden age of the Middle East.” His speech included laughter and applause, but was briefly disrupted when two lawmakers from the Hadash-Ta’al party were removed by security. One held a “Recognize Palestine” sign, and the other reportedly shouted “genocide.” Trump responded, “That was very efficient,” as security escorted the lawmakers out.
Despite the ceasefire, violence persists. A day after Trump’s Jerusalem speech, Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians crossing a “yellow line” marking territory Israel had vacated under the truce, killing six, Reuters reported.
The international community is calling for diplomatic solutions to end the war. French President Emmanuel Macron said representatives from European and Arab nations will meet Oct. 16 in Paris to discuss the agreement and pursue a “political solution based on the two-state solution.”
Control of Gaza remains contested. While Israeli troops withdrew from parts of the territory after the ceasefire, NPR reports indicate Israel still occupies roughly 50–58% of Gaza and the entire border. Humanitarian conditions remain dire, with famine, limited medical care, and severe infrastructure damage complicating aid delivery.
As Gaza faces an uncertain future, both Israeli and American officials continue to weigh military, political, and humanitarian strategies, even as the ceasefire provides a fragile window for recovery and negotiation.