Gaza Ceasefire at 1 Year: Over 1,470 Killed, Rebuilding Stalled
(MENAFN) Twelve months after a ceasefire halted the fighting in Gaza, the one deliverable that has been fully met is the return of every Israeli captive. Nearly everything else promised to Palestinians has stalled, been reversed, or never started.
Israeli strikes have not stopped, the military pullback has been undone in part, the handover of governance is unfinished, and no large-scale reconstruction has begun. Most of the enclave’s roughly 2.1 million residents are still displaced, sheltering in tents, damaged buildings, or the rubble of their homes. Palestinian authorities describe the ongoing attacks as a continuation of what they call Israel’s genocidal war, which began on Oct. 8, 2023.
The truce took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the US. It called for a phased Israeli withdrawal, more aid, new governing structures, and rebuilding.
CAPTIVES HOME, BODIES RETURNED
On Oct. 13, 2025, Hamas freed the last 20 living Israeli captives, and Israel released 1,968 Palestinian detainees, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported. Remains were handed over in stages until Jan. 26, 2026, when the Israeli army said it had recovered the final body.
DEADLY VIOLATIONS
Violations of the agreement by Israel have killed more than 1,470 Palestinians and injured over 5,180 in the past year, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. In August, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye warned that the continued attacks breached the deal and were blocking progress on its second phase.
WITHDRAWAL REVERSED
Israeli forces held about 75% of Gaza before the ceasefire. The deal first pulled them back to the so-called “yellow line,” leaving roughly 53% of the territory under Israeli military deployment, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
That retreat then stopped and went into reverse. By late June, OCHA said Israeli troops had pushed west of the line, placing 64.9% of Gaza under direct Israeli control or tighter restrictions. By August, the UN said close to two-thirds of the enclave was either off-limits to Palestinians or heavily restricted.
SECOND PHASE DEADLOCKED
The deal’s 15-point roadmap tied limits on the weapons held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions to further Israeli withdrawals, the arrival of an international force, a transfer of governance, and reconstruction.
On Aug. 3, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye said Hamas and the other factions had accepted the roadmap, including its weapons provision. Later that month, eight countries, among them Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, said Israel had rejected it, stalling the broader plan.
GOVERNANCE UNFINISHED
A technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, led by Ali Shaath, was set up in January to run civilian affairs during the transition. The handover of governing powers is still incomplete, and the planned international stabilization force has not been deployed.
RECONSTRUCTION OUT OF REACH
Despite aid commitments in the deal, OCHA said in September that Kerem Shalom was the only working crossing for goods after the Zikim crossing closed in May. Israeli limits on shelter and construction materials also persisted, and OCHA said thousands of tents and building supplies were still being held back.
The UN, the European Union, and the World Bank estimate Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction will cost $71.4 billion over 10 years, including $26.3 billion in the first 18 months. Their assessment found 1.9 million Palestinians displaced and 371,888 housing units damaged or destroyed.
The captive issue is now closed. For Gaza’s displaced, the shift from war to recovery has not arrived.
Palestinian figures show more than 74,000 people killed and over 175,000 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, with about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure destroyed.
Israeli strikes have not stopped, the military pullback has been undone in part, the handover of governance is unfinished, and no large-scale reconstruction has begun. Most of the enclave’s roughly 2.1 million residents are still displaced, sheltering in tents, damaged buildings, or the rubble of their homes. Palestinian authorities describe the ongoing attacks as a continuation of what they call Israel’s genocidal war, which began on Oct. 8, 2023.
The truce took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the US. It called for a phased Israeli withdrawal, more aid, new governing structures, and rebuilding.
CAPTIVES HOME, BODIES RETURNED
On Oct. 13, 2025, Hamas freed the last 20 living Israeli captives, and Israel released 1,968 Palestinian detainees, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported. Remains were handed over in stages until Jan. 26, 2026, when the Israeli army said it had recovered the final body.
DEADLY VIOLATIONS
Violations of the agreement by Israel have killed more than 1,470 Palestinians and injured over 5,180 in the past year, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. In August, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye warned that the continued attacks breached the deal and were blocking progress on its second phase.
WITHDRAWAL REVERSED
Israeli forces held about 75% of Gaza before the ceasefire. The deal first pulled them back to the so-called “yellow line,” leaving roughly 53% of the territory under Israeli military deployment, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
That retreat then stopped and went into reverse. By late June, OCHA said Israeli troops had pushed west of the line, placing 64.9% of Gaza under direct Israeli control or tighter restrictions. By August, the UN said close to two-thirds of the enclave was either off-limits to Palestinians or heavily restricted.
SECOND PHASE DEADLOCKED
The deal’s 15-point roadmap tied limits on the weapons held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions to further Israeli withdrawals, the arrival of an international force, a transfer of governance, and reconstruction.
On Aug. 3, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye said Hamas and the other factions had accepted the roadmap, including its weapons provision. Later that month, eight countries, among them Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, said Israel had rejected it, stalling the broader plan.
GOVERNANCE UNFINISHED
A technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, led by Ali Shaath, was set up in January to run civilian affairs during the transition. The handover of governing powers is still incomplete, and the planned international stabilization force has not been deployed.
RECONSTRUCTION OUT OF REACH
Despite aid commitments in the deal, OCHA said in September that Kerem Shalom was the only working crossing for goods after the Zikim crossing closed in May. Israeli limits on shelter and construction materials also persisted, and OCHA said thousands of tents and building supplies were still being held back.
The UN, the European Union, and the World Bank estimate Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction will cost $71.4 billion over 10 years, including $26.3 billion in the first 18 months. Their assessment found 1.9 million Palestinians displaced and 371,888 housing units damaged or destroyed.
The captive issue is now closed. For Gaza’s displaced, the shift from war to recovery has not arrived.
Palestinian figures show more than 74,000 people killed and over 175,000 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, with about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure destroyed.
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