A year after US President Donald Trump declared the war in Gaza over, few of the long-term promises of the October 10, 2025 ceasefire have materialised. Israeli strikes continue on a near-daily basis, reconstruction has barely begun, and two million Palestinians face an uncertain future.
What the deal delivered — and didn't
The agreement did halt major military operations and, three days after it was announced, Hamas freed the 20 remaining living hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel has enjoyed a year of quiet from the Gaza front, with no rocket attacks.
But the deeper commitments remain unfulfilled. Israel was supposed to withdraw to a "yellow line" retaining 53 per cent of Gaza; instead it now controls about 70 per cent, having pushed westward to a new "orange line" and built military outposts on the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods. The formation of an International Stabilisation Force, announced in February, never materialised — Indonesia put its pledged 8,000-troop contingent on hold. A new Palestinian administration has been barred from entering Gaza via Egypt.
The human cost since the truce
Israeli strikes have killed about 1,450 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. The ministry says more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza in the same period, according to Israel's military.
Most of Gaza's population now shelters in overcrowded tent camps or damaged buildings at risk of collapse. Hamas officially dissolved its government in July but remains the dominant power — and still armed — in the roughly 40 per cent of Gaza outside Israeli control.
Why it stalled
Israel has linked further progress to Hamas's complete disarmament; Hamas and Washington have argued disarmament should proceed alongside other steps. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a tight election race later this month, has hardened his position and vowed to kill everyone involved in the October 7 attack.
A year on, the ceasefire has stopped the worst of the war without delivering the peace it promised.
Sources:
- Year later, Gaza ceasefire promises mostly unfulfilled — New Indian Express
- A year on, Trump's Gaza peace plan in pieces — Dawn
What the deal delivered — and didn't
The agreement did halt major military operations and, three days after it was announced, Hamas freed the 20 remaining living hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel has enjoyed a year of quiet from the Gaza front, with no rocket attacks.
But the deeper commitments remain unfulfilled. Israel was supposed to withdraw to a "yellow line" retaining 53 per cent of Gaza; instead it now controls about 70 per cent, having pushed westward to a new "orange line" and built military outposts on the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods. The formation of an International Stabilisation Force, announced in February, never materialised — Indonesia put its pledged 8,000-troop contingent on hold. A new Palestinian administration has been barred from entering Gaza via Egypt.
The human cost since the truce
Israeli strikes have killed about 1,450 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. The ministry says more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza in the same period, according to Israel's military.
Most of Gaza's population now shelters in overcrowded tent camps or damaged buildings at risk of collapse. Hamas officially dissolved its government in July but remains the dominant power — and still armed — in the roughly 40 per cent of Gaza outside Israeli control.
Why it stalled
Israel has linked further progress to Hamas's complete disarmament; Hamas and Washington have argued disarmament should proceed alongside other steps. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a tight election race later this month, has hardened his position and vowed to kill everyone involved in the October 7 attack.
A year on, the ceasefire has stopped the worst of the war without delivering the peace it promised.
Sources:
- Year later, Gaza ceasefire promises mostly unfulfilled — New Indian Express
- A year on, Trump's Gaza peace plan in pieces — Dawn
