On September 7, 2025, the war-ravaged streets of Gaza City saw yet another round of devastation as Israeli airstrikes pounded residential areas, sending plumes of smoke and flames into the sky. The strikes, which targeted houses and even a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, killed at least 14 people overnight, according to local health officials. The Israeli military stated that civilians had been warned before the strikes, insisting that the targeted buildings were being used by Hamas militants—a claim the group denied, as reported by Reuters.
These attacks came just as a glimmer of hope flickered on the diplomatic front. Hamas announced it was open to a new ceasefire proposal that would see all Israeli captives released in exchange for an end to hostilities in Gaza. The proposal, welcomed by Hamas on September 7, offers the possibility of a negotiated pause in a conflict that has dragged on for nearly two years, leaving deep scars on both sides.
But even as ceasefire talks gained momentum, the violence showed no sign of abating. Israel’s military continued its offensive against Hamas, launching an assault on the outskirts of Gaza City and edging closer to its center. Over the weekend, Israeli forces issued urgent warnings to civilians living in high-rise buildings, urging them to evacuate before the buildings were bombed. Many residents, however, said they had nowhere safe to go, with hundreds of thousands already crammed into makeshift tent encampments along Gaza’s battered coastline.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical point. United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher warned that there is now only a "narrow window – until the end of September – to prevent famine from spreading to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis," two of Gaza’s main population centers. Fletcher called on Israel to allow unimpeded delivery of aid throughout the territory, where, according to a global hunger monitor, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are already experiencing or at risk of famine.
Israel, for its part, says it is doing more to allow aid into Gaza. The Israeli defense agency COGAT reported that over the past week, more than 1,900 aid trucks—most carrying food—were distributed in the enclave. "We will continue facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza for the civilian population—not Hamas," COGAT said in a statement quoted by Reuters. Despite these efforts, international agencies insist that far more aid is needed to avert catastrophe.
The roots of the current crisis can be traced back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, who were taken into Gaza. In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign, which has since killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The war has displaced vast numbers of people, destroyed homes, and left essential infrastructure in ruins.
As Israeli forces closed in on Gaza City, the military renewed its calls for civilians to move south to areas such as Khan Younis. But the south is already bursting at the seams, with hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in squalid, overcrowded camps. The United Nations and aid organizations have repeatedly warned that these conditions are unsustainable, with disease, hunger, and trauma taking a heavy toll on the population.
Frustration and anger are mounting among Gaza’s residents. Emad, a Gaza City resident who spoke to Reuters by phone, pleaded for an end to the violence: "We say to Hamas, we want a ceasefire, end this war before Gaza City is turned into ruins like Rafah. We want an end to this war. How long is this going to go on? How many lives are going to be wasted? Enough is enough." Emad asked that his surname not be published for fear of reprisal.
The war is also growing increasingly unpopular within Israel. On September 6, tens of thousands of Israelis joined families of hostages at rallies, calling for an end to the conflict and demanding the release of those still held in Gaza. According to Reuters, of the 48 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, only 20 are thought to be alive.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar addressed the situation at a press conference in Jerusalem, stating, "The war could end immediately if Hamas released the hostages and laid down its weapons. We will be more than happy to reach this objective with political means." Saar’s comments reflect a growing desire among many Israelis for a negotiated end to the conflict, provided that the hostages are freed and the threat from Hamas is neutralized.
Hamas, however, has rejected calls to disarm. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim reiterated the group’s long-standing position, telling reporters that Hamas would not lay down its weapons but would release all hostages if Israel ended the war and withdrew its forces from Gaza. The gulf between these positions remains wide, but the new ceasefire proposal has at least opened the door to further negotiations.
International pressure on Israel is mounting. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaking alongside his Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem, called for Israel to "change course" and halt its military campaign. "We are extremely concerned about the humanitarian (situation)," Rasmussen said, also urging the release of the hostages.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and humanitarian agencies are racing against the clock to stave off famine. The eleven-week halt in aid deliveries from March to mid-May left many in Gaza on the brink of starvation. While aid has resumed, the scale of need remains overwhelming, and the risk of famine spreading to new areas grows by the day. Fletcher’s warning that the window to prevent disaster is "closing fast" underscores the urgency of the situation.
The coming weeks could prove decisive. If the ceasefire proposal gains traction and both sides can agree on terms, there is hope that the bloodshed might finally end and desperately needed aid can flow unimpeded to those who need it most. But with trust in short supply and the stakes higher than ever, the path to peace remains fraught with obstacles.
The people of Gaza, weary from years of conflict, and the families of hostages in Israel, desperate for resolution, are united in their longing for an end to the violence. As one chapter closes and another opens, the world watches anxiously, hoping that this time, diplomacy will succeed where force has failed.
