Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Shaken by New Strikes

After intense negotiations, a U.S. brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip at noon on October 10, 2025. Under the deal’s first phase, Israel agreed to pause military operations and withdraw troops to new positions, while Hamas was to release the remaining Israeli hostages over a 72-hour period. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians, who had been sheltering in central and southern Gaza, immediately began moving north hoping to return to what was left of their homes. Israeli officials hailed the truce as a significant step: “Hamas today is not the Hamas of two years ago; Hamas has been defeated everywhere we fought it,” declared IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, urging Gazans to keep their distance from Israeli forces during the pause.

Yet even as the ceasefire officially commenced, signs of its fragility emerged. Palestinian reports described “high activity of Israeli drones, fighter jets and even warships” on Friday morning before the truce took hold. In fact, Israeli forces continued shelling and air raids right up until midday, with attack helicopters striking east of Gaza City and tanks shelling areas near Khan Younis. Gaza’s al-Ahli Hospital reported recovering seven bodies from strikes that morning. There were also incidents of artillery cover fire and even an IDF strike hitting a school shelter in Jabalia, wounding several civilians. These post-ceasefire strikes, coming just hours into the truce, have raised concern and confusion among residents and observers about whether both sides will fully adhere to the agreement. Israeli military updates insisted troops would “continue to operate to eliminate any immediate threat” in Gaza despite the pause, while Hamas negotiators said they had U.S. guarantees that the war “has ended completely” under the deal. The mixed messages underscore how delicate the situation remains, even as guns fall quiet.

Smoke rises from the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike on October 10, 2025, mere hours after a ceasefire was announced. The persistence of such strikes despite the truce highlights the fragility of the peace.

Two Years of War and Humanitarian Toll

The October 10 ceasefire comes after two years of devastating war that began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting dozens into Gaza. Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza has been catastrophic in scale. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry (whose figures are broadly considered reliable by the UN), more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting and nearly 170,000 wounded. For perspective, that grim toll amounts to roughly 3% of Gaza’s entire population – about one out of every 33 people in the enclave – killed over two years. Tragically, at least 20,000 of the dead are children, meaning roughly one child was killed every hour of this conflict. Around half of all the fatalities were women and children, reflecting the immense civilian cost of the war.

Israel has also suffered painful losses. Hamas’s initial 2023 onslaught and the prolonged fighting that followed have killed over a thousand Israelis, including civilians and soldiers. In the ground war in Gaza alone, Israel’s military lost at least 472 troops (along with several police and civilian security personnel), on top of those killed in earlier terror attacks and rocket strikes. Beyond the casualty numbers, the war’s toll is seen in the physical and psychological devastation on both sides.

Ceasefire Deal: Hostages for Prisoners and Unanswered Questions

The ceasefire agreement that took hold on Oct 10 is part of a broader peace framework mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. Notably, U.S. President Donald Trump played a hands-on role in pushing the deal – a 20-point plan aimed at halting the fighting and addressing the immediate humanitarian emergency. Israel’s cabinet approved the “phase one” deal in the early hours of Friday, and Hamas’s leadership also accepted the terms.

Under this first phase, all remaining hostages held by Hamas – 48 people as of the ceasefire – are to be released in short order. (Originally Hamas captured around 240 Israeli and foreign hostages in 2023; some have since been freed or were found to have died in captivity, leaving 48 still unreturned at the ceasefire.) In exchange, Israel has agreed to release approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Many of those slated for release are women and minors, and Hamas negotiators say they’ve been assured that “all women and children” in Israeli detention will be freed in this swap. However, Israel pointedly refused to include certain high-profile inmates – for example, Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian leader serving multiple life terms, is excluded from the deal.

Relatives of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons demonstrate in front of the Al-Bireh Cultural Center building in Ramallah, West Bank, on May 28. By Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images

The ceasefire has also compelled Israel to pull back its forces from roughly half of Gaza’s territory for now. By Friday afternoon, the IDF confirmed it had withdrawn to agreed lines, maintaining control over a 53% buffer zone mostly along Gaza’s borders. For Gazans, this partial pullout allowed movement on major roads again and the entry of much-needed aid. Roughly 600 aid trucks per day are expected to flow into Gaza during the truce, as relief groups rush to deliver food, water, and medicine to a population in dire need.

Crucially, though, this deal is a ceasefire – not a comprehensive peace. It addresses urgent needs (stopping the killing, freeing captives, and getting aid in), but leaves core political issues unresolved. As analysts note, many “unanswered questions” remain about what happens after the initial exchange of hostages and prisoners. Will Hamas be willing (or able) to disarm, as Israel insists must eventually happen? Who will govern and rebuild Gaza if Israel’s occupation ends – the Palestinian Authority, an international body, or some new arrangement? And can the fragile trust between the parties hold long enough to negotiate a “phase two” permanent truce? These uncertainties loomed even as celebrations erupted over the pause in fighting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, warned that if Hamas does not meet its commitments, Israel stands ready to “resume combat in full force”. “If this is achieved the easy way, so be it. If not, it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said of Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s demilitarization as envisioned in the U.S. peace roadmap. For its part, Hamas has declared victory in surviving the onslaught and remains rhetorically defiant. “The war in Gaza has ended completely,” claimed Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s negotiating team, saying the group received assurances that Israel’s offensive would cease for good with this deal. Both sides appear cautious: each is testing the other’s sincerity.

Advocating a Neutral Path to Peace

Rather than picking sides in the historical Israel-Palestine dispute, voices around the globe, from religious leaders and human rights organizations to ordinary citizens, have urged that protecting innocent lives and upholding human dignity must be the priority. There is a growing recognition that neither Israelis nor Palestinians will have true security or prosperity as long as this cycle of violence continues.

The October 10 ceasefire offers a brief glimpse of what a pause in hostilities can bring: silenced guns, civilians able to move freely, and humanitarian aid flowing to those in need. But a temporary lull is not enough. Advocacy for a lasting peace has thus shifted into high gear. Peace activists emphasize that an enduring resolution will require dialogue, compromise, and addressing the root causes of the conflict – from the blockade and political status of Gaza to Israel’s security concerns and the broader question of Palestinian statehood. These are undeniably complex issues with decades of history behind them. However, the neutrality we strive for means focusing on the universal values at stake: safety, freedom, and self-determination for both peoples. Lasting peace cannot be one-sided; it must ensure that Israeli families and Palestinian families alike can live without fear of sirens or shells, and that the fundamental rights of both communities are respected.

Diplomats and mediators are cautiously optimistic that the current truce could be a stepping stone. International pressure is crucial now to prevent any relapse into full-scale combat. This includes bolstering humanitarian efforts and perhaps empowering governance in Gaza that moves away from militancy and toward civil development. Many have called for strengthening democratic institutions and civil society in both Israel and Palestinian territories, believing that accountable leadership and rule of law can help address grievances peacefully.

Supporting Permanent Peace

While governments negotiate, ordinary citizens worldwide also have a role to play in ending this conflict. Grassroots movements and global campaigns are rising to demand that this ceasefire becomes not just a pause, but the beginning of a permanent peace. We invite our readers to join this momentum. One tangible way is to support initiatives like the Pledge4Peace campaign aimed at creating lasting peace and strengthening democracies in Israel and Palestine. Your voice matters. By adding your vote to campaigns such as “Create Permanent Peace and Strengthen Democracies in Israel and Palestine”, you help send a clear message that the world expects a just, peaceful resolution, not a return to war. These campaigns advocate neutral, peaceful solutions – emphasizing dialogue, coexistence, and mutual respect rather than taking sides.

Beyond voting, you can spread awareness about not just this conflict but other global crises where innocent lives hang in the balance. Share credible information, engage in respectful conversations, and support humanitarian organizations on the ground. The more people worldwide rally behind peace efforts, the harder it becomes for leaders to ignore those calls. The Israel-Gaza war has shown us the depth of human suffering that modern warfare inflicts, and it has reminded the international community of the urgent need for conflict prevention and resolution.

Support peace – add your voice by voting on our campaign for a permanent peace in Israel and Palestine, and encourage others to join in spreading awareness for this and other global issues. Together, we can demand a future defined not by strife, but by peace and justice for all.

Hero Image: Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Oct. 9, 2025. (EPA Photo)
by Anadolu Agency Oct 10, 2025 12:54 am