What comes next for Gaza as ceasefire agreement enters second phase?
Gaza today looks nothing like it did before October 7, 2023. Large parts of the territory have been reduced to rubble in a war that began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
What followed has been devastating for Gaza. The Gaza health ministry says more than 72,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli fire since the war began. The scale of destruction and loss has defined daily life in the enclave ever since.
A ceasefire agreement came into effect on 10 October 2025. It was meant to calm the fighting and create space for relief efforts. The truce allowed for the safe return of 20 hostages and led to an increase in aid entering Gaza. But the violence did not completely stop. The Gaza health ministry says that at least 600 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began.
Israel, for its part, says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza since the truce took effect. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement, with blame traded back and forth as tensions remain high.
In January, the agreement moved into a second phase. Under this stage of the deal, Israel is expected to withdraw its troops further from Gaza. Hamas, meanwhile, is due to yield control of the territory’s administration.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
