On Monday, November 10, 2025, the delicate threads of the Gaza ceasefire were tested once again as Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former U.S. President Donald Trump, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Their agenda: the next, uncertain steps in a fragile truce that has, for now, paused one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
According to the Associated Press, this high-level meeting came as Israel returned the remains of another 15 Palestinians to the Gaza Strip. The exchange was part of the first stage of the ceasefire agreement that began on October 10, 2025—a deal that has so far prioritized halting hostilities, releasing all hostages, and ramping up humanitarian aid to Gaza. Yet, as this initial phase nears its end, the road ahead remains anything but clear.
The next steps, outlined in the agreement, call for the establishment of a governing body for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force. But as of Monday, neither side could say where these plans stood. The uncertainty is palpable, and the stakes could hardly be higher. Previous attempts at a comprehensive ceasefire collapsed earlier in 2025 after an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners failed to yield a broader deal—especially around troop withdrawals and the future governance of Gaza. Mediators, at that time, simply couldn’t bring Israel and Hamas to the table on these thorny issues.
Meanwhile, the grim arithmetic of war continued. For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians, a process central to the ceasefire’s first phase. As of November 10, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that 315 sets of remains have now been received. Yet only 91 have been identified, hampered by a dire shortage of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The ministry, as reported by the Associated Press, has resorted to posting photographs of the remains online, clinging to the hope that families might recognize their loved ones.
The human toll behind these numbers is wrenching. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Shaima Abu Ouda waits, her heart heavy with uncertainty. Her 15-year-old son, Rayyan, vanished on his way to school on October 7, 2023—the day the war began. "Rayyan has been missing for two years. I don't know his fate, whether he's still alive or dead," she told the Associated Press, explaining that he disappeared near the wall separating Gaza from southern Israel. Her husband and eldest son were both killed in the war, leaving her to hope for closure, however painful.
On Sunday, November 9, Israel confirmed it had received the remains of Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in Gaza in 2014. His death, just two hours after a ceasefire took effect in that year’s conflict, became a national wound in Israel. Goldin’s remains had been the only ones left in Gaza from before the current war, and his return closed a painful chapter for many Israelis. A funeral was scheduled for November 11, 2025.
The numbers from the past two years are staggering. Around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and 251 people were kidnapped, according to the Associated Press. The response was swift and brutal. By Saturday, November 8, 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that the Palestinian death toll had climbed to 69,176. More than half of those killed, the ministry said, were women and children. The ministry’s figures, while produced by the Hamas-run government, are compiled by medical professionals and are considered generally reliable by independent experts.
As Kushner and Netanyahu discussed progress and the future of the ceasefire, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told the press that the deal’s focus remains on halting the fighting, releasing all hostages, and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. Yet the path forward is fraught with unresolved issues. Kushner, according to someone close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity, is also leading talks to secure safe passage for 150-200 Hamas militants trapped in the so-called yellow zone—territory now under Israeli control. The proposed deal would see these militants surrender their weapons in exchange for safe passage, following the release of Goldin’s remains. Hamas has made no public comment about the potential exchange, though it has acknowledged ongoing clashes in the area.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military released the results of a review into its own failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 attack. The report, as described by the Associated Press, echoed past investigations in its critique of both intelligence and operational shortcomings. Intelligence officials, it found, failed to recognize Hamas’s growing capabilities and preparations for the attack—even as evidence mounted in the early hours of that fateful day. The committee of experts stated, "The surprise of October 7th did not emerge from a vacuum or a lack of information—quite the opposite. On the night of October 7th, direct intelligence had accumulated which, had it been professionally analyzed, could and should have led to an alert and a significant operational response." The report also criticized the performance of Israel’s ground troops, navy, and air force.
Despite mounting pressure, Netanyahu has rejected calls for an official commission of inquiry into the government’s decision-making before and during the war, insisting that such an investigation can only take place once the conflict ends. Critics, however, accuse him of stonewalling to avoid what would likely be an unflattering assessment of his leadership during one of Israel’s darkest hours.
Beyond Gaza, the conflict’s ripple effects continue to spread. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the village of Umm al-Khair, featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," is bracing for the demolition of 14 structures—including its community center, greenhouse, and several family homes. Residents say Israel has labeled the buildings illegal, but argue that it is virtually impossible to obtain building permits in the West Bank. The village, founded in the 1950s by Bedouin families displaced during the 1948 war, has faced repeated demolitions and violence from nearby Israeli settlers. Earlier this year, a community leader, Awdah Hathaleen, was shot and killed by an Israeli settler inside the very community center now slated for demolition.
As the world watches, the future of Gaza—and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict—hangs in the balance. The ceasefire’s next steps remain uncertain, the wounds of war are far from healed, and families on both sides continue to search for answers, justice, and a measure of peace.
