Ceasefire in Gaza: A New Chapter Amid Ongoing Strife
A fragile ceasefire ends 15 months of bombardment, but challenges remain in the region.
After 15 months of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip following the events of Oct. 7, 2023, a ceasefire took effect on Jan. 15 under an agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal ends more than a year of devastation in the region and has led to the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
The agreement—based on a proposal introduced in May 2024—is being implemented in three stages. The first phase, lasting 42 days, includes a full ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. The second phase, to be negotiated 16 days after the start of the first, aims to establish a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. The third phase will focus on the release of all remaining hostages and the long-term reconstruction of Gaza, a process expected to take years.
Humanitarian Relief and Displacement
Since the ceasefire began, an estimated 200,000 Palestinians have returned on foot to northern Gaza. More than 92% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed since Oct. 7, and more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, with some estimates as high as 186,000.
“We experienced tremendous hardship from the moment we left Gaza City. We were displaced from Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya neighborhood. After leaving, we spent two nights—one in Al-Din, then we moved to Khan Younis and stayed at Al-Aqsa University. We’ve been displaced multiple times. When we heard the war had stopped and people could return to Gaza City, we desperately wanted to go back because we missed our home and everyone there. Our house was destroyed, but we’re fine with living among the rubble,” said Hala Shallah, a displaced Palestinian, in an interview with Democracy Now!
Data from the United Nations shows that more than 1,545 trucks carrying humanitarian aid—an unprecedented rate—arrived in Gaza within the first two days of the ceasefire. That number is up from the 1,460 trucks that arrived in the first 10 days of the month.
Many countries and organizations have provided aid to Gaza, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Kingdom, and neighboring Jordan, which began helicopter deliveries shortly after the ceasefire took effect.
“The scale of suffering in Gaza cannot be overstated, and the U.N. and its agencies, including UNRWA, must be allowed by Israel to do their vital work,” said U.K. Minister of State for Development Anneliese Dodds in a statement.
An estimated 96% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are experiencing starvation due to food insecurity in the region. More than 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced since Oct. 7, 2023.
Prisoner Exchanges and Military Movements
As part of the deal, Hamas released hostages in stages, beginning with the first three last Monday. This was followed by Israel’s release of more than 90 Palestinians held in prisons.
A second swap occurred on Saturday, involving the release of four more hostages and 200 Palestinians, many of whom were sent to various parts of Palestine, including Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as other countries such as Egypt.
“There’s this double feeling we’re living in. On the one hand, there’s the feeling of freedom, which we thank everyone for, and on the other hand, this pain from losing so many Palestinian martyrs,” said Khalida Jarrar, a released Palestinian prisoner and leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in an Associated Press report.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces have started withdrawing from Gaza, beginning with the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza. The corridor had been occupied by Israeli forces and separated northern Gaza from the rest of the strip.
However, escalating tensions in the West Bank, along with multiple ceasefire violations, have threatened the already fragile agreement.
Escalating Tensions & Ceasefire Violations
Raids across the occupied West Bank have been carried out since Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of multiple Palestinians. According to reports by Al Jazeera, heavy gunfire has been witnessed by residents and medical personnel during a two-week Israeli operation in Jenin.
“There are bodies in the streets, and many people are injured, but no one can reach them,” said Assad Salim, a Jenin resident, in an interview with Middle East Eye.
The operation, called "Iron Wall," is aimed at targeting the Jenin Brigades, a Palestinian militia, and began days after the Gaza ceasefire, with airstrikes bombarding the region. Israeli forces have claimed that the operation is meant to fight terrorism.
Representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said in a BBC interview that Israeli forces use “advanced weaponry and warfare methods, including airstrikes” against a refugee camp in Jenin, adding that 2,000 families have been displaced from the region since December.
In a statement to NBC News, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz noted that the operation marked a shift in focus from Gaza, calling it “the first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza.”
“We will not allow the arms of the Iranian regime and radical Sunni Islam to endanger the lives of [Israeli] settlers [in the West Bank] and establish a terrorist front east of the state of Israel,” he said.
Since the raids began, anger over the Gaza ceasefire has led Israeli settlers to attack Palestinian villages in the West Bank, setting homes on fire and causing dozens of injuries.
The attacks were organized through WhatsApp groups that included more than a thousand participants, who promised to release information regarding the freed Palestinian prisoners.
Reports by The Wall Street Journal detailed many descriptions of the WhatsApp groups, with some referring to Palestinians as “dangerous terrorists.”
“Unfortunately, many serious terrorists with blood on their hands are being released to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria,” read one group's description, referring to the biblical names for the West Bank.
Attacks have also been reported by Palestinian news agency Wafa in Gaza, further violating the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Five-year-old Naida Mohammed al-Amoundi was killed by Israeli forces Tuesday after soldiers fired into a horse-drawn cart; three others were wounded.
The rising tensions and violence have also impacted ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, with Israel targeting the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Israeli forces killed at least 24 people and injured more than 134 others on Sunday, as many southern towns and villages remain occupied by Israel past the 60-day deadline set by a November ceasefire agreement.
A drone strike conducted by Israel injured five people Wednesday in the Lebanese town of Majdal Selm, following an airstrike on Tuesday that injured 36 in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. According to Reuters, Israeli forces said they targeted Hezbollah vehicles transporting weapons in the strike.
As the ceasefire continues, the situation in Gaza remains precarious, with displaced Palestinians returning to their homes and aid flowing into the region. However, escalating tensions in the West Bank and ongoing ceasefire violations underscore the challenges that remain. While some steps toward rebuilding have been made, much uncertainty remains about the future, with ongoing developments shaping the path ahead.