Friday marked six months since the Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect, a moment that has been largely lost in the chaos of a new and even more fragile ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The devastated Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the heaviest fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants cease. But much of the work for a ceasefire remains to be done: disarming Hamas, ending its two-decade rule, deploying an international stabilization force and starting massive reconstruction. Gazans live in insecurity, with limited aid entering only through an Israeli-controlled border crossing.
These challenges could be a warning of what lies ahead in the latest war, while US President Donald Trump’s approach to peace seems to be to stop the bombing and leave the bigger picture to others. Whether Trump can impose such a deal on Iran, with more actors involved and global markets shaking at every statement, remains to be seen.
THE PEACE BOARD IS SILENT
Focusing on the details of the deal is essential. The two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran has already created deadly confusion over Lebanon, as Israel insists the deal is not being implemented there and continues to attack the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, while Tehran insists it is being implemented and threatens to break the deal. Israel made a surprise announcement on Thursday authorizing direct negotiations with Lebanon, despite the lack of diplomatic relations. Not long ago, the US-created Peace Board, led by Trump, launched with $7 billion in pledges and broad goals to resolve not only Gaza but other conflicts around the world.
Nine days after the first meeting, the US and Israel attacked Iran. The Board has not met since then and is still awaiting Hamas’ response to the disarmament proposal, a major and perhaps most difficult step.
A U.S. official said Hamas had not been given a specific deadline for a response, but added that “patience is not unlimited.” The lack of a deadline could weaken pressure for action while diplomacy is busy defusing other crises. The director of the Peacebuilding Board, Nickolay Mladenov, told the U.N. Security Council last month that the world must not lose focus on Gaza as a new war erupts. “The choice in Gaza is between a new war, or a new beginning; the status quo, or a better future,” he added. “There is no third option.”
IF THERE WERE NO ARMISTICE BEFORE
The Palestinians could suggest a third option: neglect. Six months after a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, little has changed beyond a lull in the explosions. Large tent camps house most of the population, while others live in damaged buildings. Health workers and aid groups say there has been little progress in getting medical supplies and other aid. The 20-point U.S. plan for a ceasefire in Gaza is failing mainly on the humanitarian front, according to five international aid organizations that released a report Thursday. They said conditions in Gaza have worsened since the war with Iran began.
“During the first two weeks of March 2026, truck traffic into Gaza fell by 80%, and the prices of basic goods rose sharply,” they said. Medical evacuations have been blocked. Palestinians expressed fading hopes for any immediate improvement.
“There is pollution and disease. It is as if there was no ceasefire at all,” said Maysa Abu Jedian, a woman displaced from Beit Lahiya. “The war continues and life is as terrible as it was,” said Eyad Abu Dagga, sheltering in a camp in Khan Younis. While heavy fighting has stopped, Israeli forces have carried out airstrikes and fired on Palestinians near military zones. Militants have carried out attacks on troops, and Israel has said its strikes are in response to these ceasefire violations. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed 738 people in the six months of the ceasefire. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, keeps detailed casualty records that are generally considered reliable by the UN and independent experts.
In total, the ministry says 72,317 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
CONTINUOUS DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
The unwavering focus on Gaza, once the focus of a strong international response, has been lost with the outbreak of a new Regional war. This has reduced the pressure for progress on the ceasefire. The humanitarian organizations’ report notes that any progress on aid issues in the Palestinian territories has “generally required sustained diplomatic pressure at the highest levels, particularly from the United States. This pressure, however, has not been applied consistently or to the extent necessary for full implementation.”
The Trump administration is not the only distracted actor. The entire Middle East, including key Gaza brokers Egypt and Qatar, is now focused on Iran and the effects of the war on their economies. With uncertainty added by Israel’s new war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, there may be even less interest from countries to contribute troops to a stabilization force for Gaza. One of the few confirmed contributors, Indonesia, has already lost three peacekeepers in southern Lebanon in recent days. (Associated Press)