Mass death unfolds before the world's eyes: For them, a "Ceasefire" is just another word for death PHOTO/VIDEO

Nearly 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect, while more than 74,000 have been killed since the deadly attacks of October 7, three years ago, according to Palestinian authorities. Those attacks killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 people taken hostage.

The Israeli military has continued its gradual advance into Gaza, pushing Palestinians into an increasingly smaller area and preventing the free flow of humanitarian and medical aid into the Strip. Hamas remains armed, and five Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat.

“Everyone is living in fear,” Musalam Abuhalil, a 32-year-old doctor from Nuseirat in central Gaza, told The Independent.

EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

“People are still living in torn tents without proper sanitation, struggling to find ways to make a living. Everyone in Gaza is asking: ‘What happens if I go somewhere that the Israeli military targets for some reason?’ We have heard so many stories of people who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and were killed or suffered irreversible, life-changing injuries because there was no warning,” he said.

Dr. Abuhalil, founder of the United for Dignity Alliance, who also works at Nasser Hospital, paints a grim picture of the humanitarian situation. The healthcare sector, he says, is still suffering the consequences of three years of Israeli bombardment, with only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals partially operational, while many Palestinians lack access to drinking water or sufficient food.

Trump’s promise vs. reality

The October 2025 ceasefire was welcomed with great fanfare. Trump said his new Board of Peace—which he chairs for life, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair serving on its executive board—has “unlimited potential.”

The Board of Peace, which includes several heads of state accused of presiding over human rights violations, would usher in an “era of faith, hope and God” in Gaza, the president said.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining living hostages and the bodies of those who had been killed, while Israel partially withdrew its forces within the Gaza Strip and released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

However, during the first months of the ceasefire, Israel continued its attacks, failed to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip and advanced further beyond the so-called “Yellow Line,” behind which its forces were supposed to be positioned. Gaza’s Government Media Office says Israel has committed more than 5,100 ceasefire violations since October 10.

Israel rejects the accusations, saying it has complied with the terms of the ceasefire and describing those killed in its attacks as suspected terrorists.

“Claims that Israel is violating the ceasefire agreement ignore the continued military activity and military buildup of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, their plans to carry out attacks against Israel, and Hamas’s refusal to disarm, which is contrary to the agreement. The Israel Defense Forces remain committed to the ceasefire agreement and continue to operate in a focused manner, exclusively to eliminate threats and protect Israeli civilians and IDF troops, in accordance with the agreement,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Ongoing ceasefire violations

However, Ali Mekelberg, a senior fellow in the Middle East programme at Chatham House, says Israeli incursions are undermining the peace process.

“The ongoing ceasefire violations, the fact that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while Israel continues to expand its occupation of Gaza, and the slow progress in addressing the humanitarian situation are making conditions increasingly worse,” he said.

EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

The question of what comes next remains open. The second phase of the ceasefire, which is supposed to include Hamas's disarmament and Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, has yet to come into effect, and the Board of Peace has so far failed to make progress in negotiations.

Meanwhile, violence is escalating in the West Bank, where, according to local authorities, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or troops since October 7.

Settler attacks, which are occurring more frequently than ever, are carried out largely with impunity. This has prompted several of Israel's allies in Europe and beyond—including the United Kingdom—to impose unprecedented trade sanctions on settlements.

International pressure on Israel has increased in recent months. In June, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed genocide and war crimes by deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

Pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government is also coming from within Israel, with elections scheduled for later this month that could remove him from office for the third time—and have a direct impact on Gaza.

“The elections are crucial, and the internal dynamics within Palestinian society are almost equally important,” Mr. Mekelberg said. “So are the actions of the international community. The United Kingdom and the EU have begun to show—and rightly so—impatience with certain actions. The question is whether they will continue to do so.”

EPA/ABIR SULTAN

But as diplomatic disputes persist and high-level talks continue to stall, the humanitarian situation on the ground is becoming increasingly dire.

Joint call to action

A joint call to action issued last month by Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom stated that Israeli restrictions on aid were “the greatest obstacle to the functioning of healthcare services” and called on the government to “enable and facilitate rapid and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Gaza.”

The UN estimates that around 94% of Gaza’s population requires emergency shelter assistance.

Approximately 1.4 million people, or two-thirds of Gaza’s population, are expected to face food insecurity between July and December this year, up from 1.2 million people between April and June, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Nine out of 10 people face high levels of water insecurity, while more than half of all households have access to drinking water below the daily minimum requirement of six liters per person, according to data from the Swiss nonprofit WASH Cluster.

However, Israel continues to insist that it imposes no restrictions on the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The Israeli military said the accusations were “biased and recycled claims repeated and spread by Hamas.”

EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

“During the ceasefire, humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip in quantities significantly exceeding international humanitarian requirements, contributing to substantial improvements in food security, medical response, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.”

The situation on the ground tells a different story

Doctors working on the ground paint a very different picture. Healthcare has been particularly devastated, with no significant reconstruction of Gaza’s healthcare system. In fact, it continues to come under attack. The World Health Organization has recorded 56 attacks on healthcare facilities this year, resulting in 10 deaths and 49 injuries.

Neonatal care has borne the brunt of the dire medical situation, with the number of newborns and infants requiring intensive care having “increased significantly” in recent months, a doctor working in neonatal care told Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in a testimony.

“During the worst periods of the war, our immediate concern was simply the overwhelming number of trauma patients arriving at hospitals,” said Dr. Abuhalil.

“But now we are facing the consequences of three years of destruction.”

EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Reconstruction in the Gaza Strip has yet to get seriously underway. Around 82% of all structures in the Strip have been destroyed or damaged, according to UN data. The extent of the devastation has recently become apparent after Google Earth updated its satellite imagery, revealing a barren landscape reduced to rubble.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to rebuild Gaza is only beginning to take shape, following a proposal by the Board of Peace for a six-month, $2.45 billion (£1.85 billion) plan to begin restoring essential services through 66 projects. The proposal was presented during a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

However, with estimates from the UN, the EU and the World Bank putting the cost of full reconstruction at $71.4 billion over the next 10 years, progress appears slow.

For Palestinians in Gaza, the words “ceasefire” have become synonymous with death, poverty and insecurity. Peace and security remain little more than a distant dream.