As the sun rose over Gaza on October 11, 2025, tens of thousands of Palestinians made the difficult journey back to the northern towns and neighborhoods they once called home, only to be met with scenes of devastation. The second day of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brought a somber hope to the war-weary territory, even as the ruins of Gaza spoke volumes about the cost of nearly two years of conflict. According to the Associated Press, Mahmoud al-Shandoghli, returning to Gaza City, surveyed the wreckage and said, “Gaza is completely destroyed. I have no idea where we should live or where to go.”
The ceasefire, the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace deal announced by President Donald Trump, took effect at noon local time on October 10, 2025, as reported by BBC. The agreement’s initial terms are ambitious: the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages by midday Monday, October 13, in exchange for the liberation of approximately 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross stands ready to facilitate the transfer of hostages, with previous handovers involving careful coordination and immediate medical check-ups upon their return to Israel.
In Tel Aviv, anticipation and anxiety mingled in Hostages Square, where thousands of Israelis gathered to await news of their loved ones. The crowd erupted in chants of “Thank you, Trump” as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump addressed the rally. Witkoff declared, “To the hostages themselves, our brothers and sisters, you are coming home.” Ivanka Trump honored the families, saying, “Tonight, as we stand here together in Tel Aviv, we honor the strength of every family waiting, praying and believing. I am in awe by their strength and conviction in spite of such suffering.”
But the event was not without controversy. When Witkoff mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the crowd responded with boos, reflecting the deep divisions within Israeli society over Netanyahu’s handling of the war and the hostage crisis. According to CNN, Netanyahu’s critics accuse him of prolonging the conflict, deflecting responsibility for security failures, and sabotaging negotiations. Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin called the reaction “a great disgrace,” insisting that Netanyahu “has led the State of Israel through one of its most difficult periods and achieved the tremendous accomplishments we have witnessed over the past two years.”
The war’s origins trace back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a devastating attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. The Gaza Health Ministry, cited by AP, reports that over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, with about half being women and children. The United Nations estimates that more than three out of every four buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving a volume of debris equivalent to 25 Eiffel Towers.
As part of the ceasefire, Israel began to partially withdraw its forces, now maintaining control over roughly 53% of Gaza, according to the Israeli military and BBC. The withdrawal is just the first of three planned stages outlined in Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The next phases would involve further Israeli pullbacks, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the establishment of a transitional government. This transitional authority is envisioned as a committee of Palestinian technocrats, supervised by a "Board of Peace" chaired by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The ultimate goal is to transfer governance to a reformed Palestinian Authority, though Hamas would be excluded from any future role—a sticking point that may prove difficult to resolve.
Hamas, along with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has flatly rejected any form of foreign guardianship over Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera. The groups have also called for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes and genocide during the conflict. Disarmament remains a red line for Hamas, which has so far refused to lay down its arms without the establishment of a Palestinian state and robust security guarantees.
On the ground, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Aid groups, including the World Food Program and U.N. agencies, have pressed Israel to open more crossings for the delivery of desperately needed food and supplies. Before the blockade intensified in March, there were 400 food distribution points in Gaza. The World Food Program is now preparing to restore 145 of these, pending Israeli approval for expanded deliveries. COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing humanitarian aid, confirmed that over 500 trucks entered Gaza on October 10, but many crossings remain closed, and about 170,000 metric tons of food aid are waiting in neighboring countries for the green light.
In a bid to monitor the ceasefire and facilitate aid, about 200 U.S. troops arrived in Israel, setting up a coordination center but with no plans for American boots on the ground in Gaza itself. A multinational force, potentially including troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, will oversee the ceasefire, as detailed by BBC and CNN. Admiral Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command emphasized, “This great effort will be achieved with no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the process of releasing Palestinian prisoners is underway. Israel’s Justice Ministry has published the names of 250 prisoners set for release, with many transferred to deportation facilities at Ofer and Ketzi’ot prisons. Some will be deported, while others will return to the West Bank or East Jerusalem. Families on both sides wait anxiously for reunions or closure, with the fate of several hostages still unknown and some deceased hostages’ remains yet to be recovered.
International diplomacy is in full swing. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Egypt to support the ceasefire plan and discuss next steps with other world leaders. President Trump is also set to convene a summit in Egypt, aiming to solidify the peace framework and address the thorny issues of security, governance, and reconstruction.
Despite the tentative peace, the future of Gaza remains uncertain. Key questions linger: Who will govern the Strip? Will Hamas disarm? Will Israel fully withdraw? As negotiations over the next phases of the peace plan loom, both sides face difficult choices. The wounds of war are raw, and the path to lasting peace is anything but clear.
For now, the people of Gaza and Israel cling to hope—however fragile—that this ceasefire might mark a turning point. As one Israeli, Yaniv Peretz, put it to the Associated Press, “It’s a really happy time, but we know that there are going to be some incredibly difficult moments coming.”
