Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration that a ceasefire is holding, the situation in Gaza remains volatile and deadly for Palestinians. Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens, with Palestinian authorities reporting a significant death toll since the truce began, underscoring the fragile and precarious nature of the current peace.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025, faced its most serious test when Israel launched a "massive and extensive wave" of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on October 19. This military action was initiated after two Israeli soldiers were killed in the Rafah area, a region that remains under Israeli control. In response, an Israeli security official announced the suspension of all aid deliveries into Gaza.
While President Trump affirmed the ceasefire is still in place, suggesting that Hamas leadership may not have been involved and blaming "some rebels within," the human cost has been overwhelmingly Palestinian. Following the Sunday strikes, Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry reported that 45 people were killed in a single day. The Government Media Office in Gaza has tallied at least 97 Palestinian deaths from what it terms Israeli "violations" since the ceasefire began.
A major point of tension and danger for returning Palestinians is the unclear demarcation of the "Yellow Line," the boundary behind which Israeli forces have agreed to withdraw. The Israeli military continues to control more than half of the Gaza Strip, and many residents report confusion about the line's exact location. This has led to fatal incidents where Palestinians, including children, have been shot after allegedly crossing this invisible boundary.
In one such incident, 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family—including seven children and three women—were killed when the vehicle they were in to check on their home was struck on the outskirts of Gaza City. The Israeli military stated a "suspicious vehicle was identified" and that troops fired warning shots. In response to the confusion, the Israeli Defense Forces have begun physically marking the line with yellow blocks.
Hamas has consistently reaffirmed its "full commitment" to the truce and stated it was "unaware" of the clashes in Rafah, noting it has had no contact with fighters in that Israeli-controlled area since communications were cut off in March. A spokesman for the group called for the speedy approval of a committee of independent Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza, illustrating a potential next step for the territory's administration.
The group has also faced criticism from Israel over the delayed return of the bodies of deceased hostages. Hamas has stated that recovering the remaining bodies is very difficult due to the sheer volume of rubble from Israel's relentless bombing and requires heavy digging equipment and external assistance. A Gaza civil defence official estimated that the bodies of about 10,000 Palestinians also remain trapped under the debris.
Senior U.S. envoys, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are currently in the region to shore up the agreement and discuss the second phase of Trump's peace plan. In a recent interview, Kushner conveyed that the U.S. message to Israeli leadership is that for regional integration to succeed, it must "find a way to help the Palestinian people thrive and do better".
The next phase of the plan involves complex issues, including deploying an international stabilisation force, the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged the difficult road ahead, stating there will be "fits and starts," but expressing belief that this process offers the "best chance for a sustainable peace".