In the battered landscape of Gaza, the struggle to recover, rebuild, and survive continues with heart-wrenching urgency. On October 17, 2025, Palestinians were seen combing through the ruins—searching for loved ones lost beneath the rubble, a stark reminder of the human toll exacted by the long conflict. According to ABC News, these recovery efforts persist despite the overwhelming challenges facing the region, as families cling to hope of finding closure amid devastation.
The physical destruction is only part of Gaza’s ordeal. The region’s humanitarian crisis has deepened, with medical professionals and aid organizations raising alarm about the dire conditions. Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, a Colorado-based physician and volunteer with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), recently returned from Gaza and described firsthand the grim reality. “There continues to be a shortage of medical supplies and specifically in the area of, like, nutritional supplements. In Gaza, over 90% of children have faced some degree of malnutrition that ranges between severe, mild to moderate because of this war that has gone on,” Kuziez told local media, as reported by Yahoo News. His words echo a broader concern: the conflict has not only destroyed infrastructure but also left Gaza’s youngest residents severely deprived.
Kuziez’s experience illustrates the immense administrative and logistical hurdles aid groups face. “From my time there, it’s utterly devastated. Add to that the administrative hurdles that, you know, we face trying to bring in supplies into Gaza,” he explained. Despite the recent peace plan announced by President Trump in early October, which many hoped would open the door to increased humanitarian aid, the reality on the ground has been far less optimistic. “It continues to be difficult. Based off of most recent projections in the first five days ... there was a promise to escalate to a similar number of shipments that were being received in Gaza prior to this entire situation, which is about 400 trucks. But in the first five days (after the start of the peace plan) only about 170 trucks had made it through,” Kuziez said. Even so, the PCRF and its partners remain undeterred, recently managing to deliver a large shipment of baby formula to the enclave—a rare good-news story in an otherwise bleak situation.
The scale of the crisis is staggering. Over 90% of children in Gaza have experienced some form of malnutrition, a figure that underscores both the severity and the pervasiveness of the problem. According to Dr. Kuziez, “There’s a lot of care and compassion, you know, both locally here in the Colorado community and also internationally. But it’s going to take a lot of work.” The PCRF’s Colorado chapter, for example, focuses on raising funds to purchase and ship supplies directly to Gaza, a process fraught with bureaucratic snags and unpredictable delays.
Amid these immediate hardships, Palestinian leaders are looking to the future. On October 16, 2025, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa unveiled a sweeping five-year, three-phase recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza, with an estimated price tag of $67 billion. As reported by China Daily and Xinhua, the plan aims to address both urgent needs and long-term rebuilding, signaling a commitment to restoring not just buildings, but hope and dignity for Gaza’s people.
Mustafa outlined the plan’s structure during a meeting with international partners in Ramallah. The first phase will focus on urgent humanitarian and infrastructure needs, lasting six months at a cost of $3.5 billion. The second phase, stretching over three years, requires $30 billion and aims to lay the groundwork for broader reconstruction. The final phase will see the completion of recovery and long-term development. “Our message to the international community is clear: Gaza’s reconstruction must be Palestinian-led, Arab-backed, and internationally supported, ensuring not only the rebuilding of Gaza but also the restoration of hope, dignity, and stability for its people,” Mustafa declared, according to WAFA News Agency.
This ambitious framework builds on the Gaza Recovery, Reconstruction & Development Plan adopted by the Extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo in March 2025, aligning with relevant United Nations resolutions and the New York Declaration. Yet, the path forward is anything but straightforward. Israel opposes any role for the Palestinian Authority or Hamas in Gaza’s governance following the two-year conflict, which has left 68,000 Palestinians dead, more than 170,000 injured, and much of the territory uninhabitable.
The ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas on October 10, 2025, offered a glimmer of hope. The deal’s first phase called for Israeli troop withdrawals from key areas, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, and the opening of five crossings for humanitarian aid. Since then, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the bodies of 10 more; in turn, Israel has freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. However, the situation remains tense. Israel still maintains a military presence in about half of Gaza, tying the return of deceased hostages to the delivery of humanitarian aid, and demanding that Hamas return the bodies of 19 more hostages. Hamas, for its part, insists it has handed over all bodies it could recover, and says further recoveries require heavy machinery and troop withdrawals from southern Gaza—areas where many hostages perished.
Violence has not fully abated. On October 16, a senior Hamas official accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by killing at least 24 people since the truce began, a claim reported by Al Jazeera. The official stated, “The occupying state is working day and night to undermine the agreement through its violations on the ground.” Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire are expected soon, with Hamas demanding a complete end to the conflict and full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists that Hamas disarm and relinquish power—something the group has so far refused.
Meanwhile, the entry of aid remains a sticking point. On October 16, trucks carrying desperately needed supplies were again stalled at the Rafah crossing from Egypt. Israeli officials have said only that Rafah would open "in the future," with some aid entering via other routes. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of a renewed military campaign if Israeli demands aren’t met, further complicating relief efforts.
The international community is watching closely. President Trump, reacting to reports of violence, threatened on October 16 to "go in and kill" Hamas members if killings continue, according to China Daily. This rhetoric, alongside persistent obstacles to aid and reconstruction, highlights the precariousness of Gaza’s recovery.
Despite these daunting challenges, stories like Dr. Kuziez’s and the efforts of organizations like PCRF provide a glimmer of hope. Their persistence, coupled with ambitious plans for recovery and reconstruction, suggest that while Gaza’s path forward will be long and fraught, it is not without determination—or compassion. The coming weeks and months will test the resolve of all parties, but for Gaza’s families, the search for lost loved ones and the struggle for a future continues, brick by brick, day by day.