Gaza ceasefire stalls one year after Trump-brokered deal amid disputes
One year after Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, negotiations have largely stalled. The agreement had two phases: the first focused on hostage exchanges and a partial Israeli withdrawal, while the second aims for Hamas disarmament and full Israeli troop withdrawal. However, violence has continued throughout the ceasefire. Human rights groups document over fourteen hundred Palestinian deaths and thousands of Israeli violations since October tenth. Key obstacles include disagreements over sequencing: Israel demands Hamas disarm before withdrawing, while Hamas insists Israel must withdraw first. The second phase of reconstruction remains blocked. International bodies, including the UN, report inadequate humanitarian aid and civilians trapped under ongoing military operations. Israel controls roughly seventy percent of Gaza, up from fifty percent at ceasefire's start. Both sides have accused each other of bad faith.
Key facts
- US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began October 10, 2025, based on Trump's 20-point plan endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803
- First phase completed January 2026 when last Israeli hostage remains were returned; second phase aims for Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal
- At least 1,400 Palestinians killed since ceasefire began despite agreement to suspend military operations
- Israeli forces expanded control from 50 percent of Gaza in October 2025 to approximately 70 percent by mid-2026
- Gaza's Government Media Office documented over 5,100 Israeli ceasefire violations from October 2025 to October 2026
- International Stabilization Force deployment blocked; National Committee for Gaza Administration unable to enter enclave from Cairo base
- Key sticking point: Israel conditions withdrawal on Hamas disarmament; Hamas conditions disarmament implementation on Israeli withdrawal
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning outlets stress humanitarian catastrophe and Israeli violations. They highlight over 1,400 Palestinian deaths despite the ceasefire, document thousands of Israeli attacks and property demolitions, and note humanitarian organizations' warnings that the ceasefire exists 'in name only.' They emphasize Gaza's dire humanitarian conditions and call for accountability for Israeli military conduct.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-wing perspectives, voiced by Israeli officials, emphasize security concerns and Hamas's continued threat. They argue Hamas refuses genuine disarmament and that Israel must maintain military control until Hamas is fully neutralized. Far-right figures like Itamar Ben Gvir have called disarmament agreements 'unacceptable,' viewing any Hamas presence as a security risk.
Limits of this briefing
Limited explicit right-leaning media outlet coverage found; most right-wing perspective represented through Israeli government statements and far-right political figures. Significant coverage disparity: humanitarian and human rights organizations have extensively documented ceasefire violations, while detailed Israeli security assessments justifying continued operations are less accessible in English-language search results.
Sources
- Washington Post: A US-brokered ceasefire was supposed to end the war in Gaza. A year later, progress has stalled Centre
- Al Jazeera: Gaza ceasefire 'exists in name only', more than 100 NGOs say Left
- Council on Foreign Relations: A Guide to the Gaza Peace Deal Centre
- J Street: Nine Months In: Assessing the Status of the Gaza Ceasefire Left
- Security Council Report: The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, October 2026 Monthly Forecast Centre