Israel One month after the start of the Gaza ceasefire - what is the situation?
The ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas that came into force a month ago was greeted with deep relief by many people in the region. But for the approximately two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, a return to normality is still a long way off.
09.11.2025, 12:47
SDA
Umm Ahmed Afana from Chan Junis has been staying with relatives after her house was damaged during the two-year war. "We can finally sleep without hearing the sound of airstrikes, but every loud noise still scares my children," says the mother of four. "There is peace on the surface, but not yet in our hearts. We just pray that this peace will last long enough for us to start again."
War almost broke out again several times
"A month after the ceasefire began, we are in a very fragile situation," says Michael Milshtein, former head of the Palestinian affairs department at Israel's military intelligence service. Since October 10, there have been several incidents that almost led to a new outbreak of war.
Several Israeli soldiers have been killed in attacks on Israeli troops, who continue to control more than half of the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to attack targets in the coastal strip: According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 240 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began.
What has been done so far?
The 20 live Hamas hostages were released as agreed on October 13, including German citizens. In return, Israel has released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, the handover of the 28 bodies, to which Hamas had also committed itself, was slow, contrary to the agreement.
The bodies of five hostages are still in the Gaza Strip. In Israel, the protests are to continue until the last mortal remains have been handed over - no one wants to be left behind.
In return for the bodies handed over so far, Israel has handed over the bodies of 285 Palestinians. Israel has also withdrawn its troops to the so-called "yellow line", which marks the army's line of retreat within the Gaza Strip.
What is the biggest sticking point?
The Gaza peace plan also provides for the disarmament of Hamas. However, the terrorist organization rejects this. On the contrary, according to experts, it is using the ceasefire to reorganize itself. However, the Trump administration, which presented the peace plan, insists on this as a mediator in the conflict.
Specifically, US President Donald Trump's plan states that as soon as all hostages are released, Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and to laying down their weapons will be granted amnesty. The USA is of the opinion that if the weapons are not surrendered, everything will happen again.
According to expert Milshtein, the USA is now the main player with regard to the future of the Gaza Strip. "This war has come to an end, not because Israel wanted it or Hamas gave in, but because Trump hit the table," he says. Trump is clearly the decision-maker and the US president will not allow the war to start again. "Israel's room for maneuver is getting smaller and smaller."
Expert: Hamas is the dominant force in the Gaza Strip
Following the ceasefire, Hamas quickly succeeded in regaining control of the areas under its control, says Milshtein. Two years after the start of the war, Hamas is still the dominant force in the Gaza Strip. Opponents within its own population were massively intimidated, for example through public executions.
The USA has set up a coordination center in Israel for all further steps. According to the "New York Times", the USA is to press for its peace plan to be underpinned by a vote of the UN Security Council and thus by international law. This also includes the deployment of an international stabilization force (ISF) to ensure order in the Gaza Strip. However, its exact composition is still open.
USA strives for further rapprochement agreements in the region
The United States is also striving for stability in the wider region. According to Trump, the so-called Abraham Accords initiated by the US years ago to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states are also being joined by Muslim-majority Kazakhstan in Central Asia, which already maintains diplomatic relations with Israel. So this is merely a symbolic step. More states are to follow, according to the US, but it is not yet clear whether Saudi Arabia, for example, could also join.
Difficult second phase of the US peace plan
Despite violations of the ceasefire, the Arab mediator states Qatar and Egypt hope that the second phase of the peace plan can be initiated soon. This explicitly includes the disarmament of Hamas, emphasized the Qatari head of government Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani recently. Hamas is prepared to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip as long as this applies to all sides in the conflict, he said.
However, expert Milshtein assumes that Hamas would not accept an international force with a robust mandate in the Gaza Strip. An alternative civilian administration, for example by the Palestinian Authority, would not be a problem from the point of view of the terrorist organization, says Milshtein. "This would not interfere with Hamas maintaining its strength." The expert also assumes that the organization "would never lay down its weapons". The weapons are "part of the organization's DNA". However, a compromise is conceivable that could lead to Hamas only relinquishing "offensive weapons" such as rockets.
According to Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atti, his country's efforts are focused on alleviating the suffering of the population in Gaza. In addition, the Palestinians must be given a realistic prospect of an independent state. However, the right-wing religious government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strictly rejects this.
How are the people in Gaza faring?
After the ceasefire came into force, aid deliveries were expanded as part of the agreement, with a target of 600 trucks a day. According to the Hamas-controlled media office, around 750,000 internally displaced people have returned to the city of Gaza and the north of the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began. However, due to the severe destruction, 80 percent of them are living in temporary accommodation.
Before the war, which began with the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, Ahmed Mansour had a small grocery store in the north of the Gaza Strip. "The ceasefire has given us some breathing space, but our reality hasn't changed," he says. "I still can't reopen the store - there is no electricity most of the time and people barely have money to buy anything."
Huda Salman, a teacher from the city of Gaza, says: "For the first time in months, my students are back in class. Some children are still drawing rockets and soldiers - that's how they remember the war. But when I see them laughing during class, I feel a little hope."
