Gaza’s fragile ceasefire, brokered by the United States and now just over a week old, endured a dramatic test on Sunday, October 20, 2025, after violence erupted and threatened to unravel the tentative peace. The truce, which aimed to end two years of relentless war, was shaken when two Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed in an attack, prompting Israel to unleash a wave of deadly airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 36 Palestinians, including children, perished in the strikes. The incident marked the first major flareup since the ceasefire’s start and left many on both sides wondering if the calm would hold.
As reported by AP and FOX News, the Israeli military quickly announced that the ceasefire had resumed following the violence, but the sense of stability remained tenuous. The initial response from Israel was swift and forceful. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take “strong action” against any violations of the ceasefire, though he stopped short of threatening a full return to war. The Israeli military stated that militants had fired at troops in Rafah, an area under Israeli control according to the ceasefire lines. In response, Israel struck dozens of Hamas targets, resulting in significant casualties and renewed fear among Gaza’s residents.
Palestinian officials and civilians expressed deep anxiety that the violence might spiral back into full-scale conflict. Mahmoud Hashim, a father of five from Gaza City, voiced a sentiment shared by many: “It will be a nightmare.” He appealed directly to U.S. President Donald Trump and other international mediators to intervene and prevent a return to war. Hospitals across Gaza reported a grim toll from the strikes—Al-Awda hospital received 24 bodies from attacks in the Nuseirat and Bureij camps, while an airstrike on a makeshift coffeehouse in Zawaida killed at least six people. In Beit Lahiya, two men lost their lives, and a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis was struck, killing four more, including a woman and two children.
“Where is peace?” asked Khadijeh abu-Nofal in Khan Younis as she tended to a wounded young woman. The question hung heavy in the air, echoing the uncertainty felt throughout the territory.
The violence also disrupted the flow of humanitarian aid. According to an Israeli security official cited by AP, the transfer of aid into Gaza was halted during the escalation but was expected to resume on Monday, October 21. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that aid deliveries would restart, underscoring the urgency of relief for a population already battered by conflict and deprivation. Earlier this year, Israel had cut off aid to Gaza for over two months after ending a previous ceasefire, exacerbating famine conditions and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, maintained that the ceasefire was still in place and expressed hope for a peaceful outcome. “We want to make sure it’s going to be very peaceful,” he said, while acknowledging that Hamas had been “quite rambunctious” and that some of the violence might be attributed to “rebels” within the organization rather than its leadership. Trump assured that the situation would be “handled toughly but properly,” though he refrained from commenting on whether the Israeli strikes were justified, noting only that “it’s under review.” Vice President JD Vance also indicated the administration was considering a visit to Israel to “check on how things are going,” emphasizing that “there’s going to be fits and starts” in the peace process.
On the ground, both Israel and Hamas traded accusations of ceasefire violations. Hamas claimed it had not been in contact with its forces in the area of the attack and therefore could not be held responsible for incidents there. The group continued to accuse Israel of multiple breaches of the agreement. Meanwhile, Israel pressed Hamas to fulfill its role in the ceasefire by returning the remains of all deceased hostages. According to FOX News, Israeli officials described the ceasefire as “incomplete” until this obligation was met.
In a poignant development, Israel identified the remains of two hostages released by Hamas overnight: Ronen Engel, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker from Kibbutz Be’eri. Both were believed to have been killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the current war. Engel’s wife and two of his three children had been kidnapped and later released in a previous ceasefire. Over the past week, Hamas handed over the remains of 12 hostages and said it had found the body of another, promising to return it “if circumstances in the field” allowed. However, the group warned that any escalation by Israel would hinder further search efforts.
Israel, for its part, kept the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed “until further notice,” demanding the return of the remains of all 28 deceased hostages. The crossing, which was the only one not controlled by Israel before the war, has become a critical point in ceasefire negotiations and humanitarian access.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel has released 150 bodies of Palestinians back to Gaza, including 15 on Sunday. The ministry posts photos of the bodies online to help families identify loved ones, though only 25 have been successfully identified so far. The grim reality is underscored by the staggering toll of the conflict: more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry, which maintains detailed records considered reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel disputes these figures but has not provided its own tally. The Red Cross estimates that thousands more remain missing.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 during the attack that sparked the war. In earlier exchanges, 20 living hostages were traded for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, highlighting the complex and painful human dimension of the conflict.
As the ceasefire enters its next phase, diplomatic efforts continue. A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo to work with mediators and other Palestinian groups on implementing the deal. The coming stages are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, withdrawing Israeli forces from additional areas of Gaza, and determining the future governance of the devastated territory. The U.S. plan envisions an internationally backed authority to help manage the transition.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem stated that the group would not participate in the ruling authority for postwar Gaza, instead calling for the prompt establishment of a body of Palestinian technocrats to handle day-to-day affairs. “Government agencies in Gaza continue to perform their duties, as the (power) vacuum is very dangerous,” Kassem said, highlighting the urgency of stable governance.
With the ceasefire holding—at least for now—residents of Gaza and Israel alike wait anxiously, hoping that this fragile peace can endure and that the region might finally see the end of years of violence and loss.