Gaza remains in ruins a year after ceasefire as peace deal deadlock persists

One year after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire, Gaza remains largely destroyed and no reconstruction has begun. The truce has stopped mass bombing, but Israeli strikes have continued almost every day. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, including at least 300 children. Israel says it is targeting Hamas operatives. At least seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the truce began.

A ceasefire redefined

The term ceasefire has been redefined in this war. Mass bombing has stopped, but there is no respite from grief. Satellite images show the scale of the destruction. At least four out of every five buildings are damaged or destroyed. Rafah in the south and parts of Khan Yunis have been hit hard. Last October, Israeli forces withdrew to a so-called yellow line. Since then, Israel has moved that line deeper into Gaza and now occupies under two-thirds of the territory. The rest is controlled by Hamas. More than two million people are squeezed into just over a third of Gaza, living in precarious shelters among rubble and dust.

Deadlock

Israel says it will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas genuinely disarms. Hamas says it will not hand over its weapons until Israel stops all forms of aggression. A recovery plan worth billions of dollars has been drawn up by politicians abroad, but people in Gaza say it is a distant dream. The ceasefire is only on paper in some respects. Palestinian figures say around five Palestinians a day have been killed in the past year. Schools are still closed, hospitals remain collapsed and millions live in tents.

Daily life and loss

Families continue to mourn. Mohammed Al-Bardawil said goodbye to his 14-year-old brother Ismail. His family says he was shot by Israeli forces while fishing near Rafah. Fida Al-Touta, a mother of five, was killed in her tent when a bullet hit her head. Her 13-year-old son Ezz recalled his mother telling them to get down. Her brother Ibrahim pointed to bullet holes in the tent and said gunfire came from the sky, tanks and military vehicles and was directed at unarmed civilians. Israel's military says it has no record of the incidents.

Outside their tent, families described moving repeatedly without finding safety. One man, Ahid, moved his family seven times. Iman Al-Qadi, 26, has been displaced nine times. Her baby boy Muhammad was born prematurely and is struggling to put on weight. She said she is exhausted, psychologically broken and drained. Amal Abadla, an architect, told a video call that her family once lived in a comfortable flat. Now her sons Muhammad and Noah are growing up under Israeli drones. Her husband has not been able to enter Gaza in three years and has never met their youngest child in person.

Aid, health and access

Aid and commercial goods cannot flow freely into Gaza. Israel says 600 trucks of supplies enter each day, but much more is needed after two years of war. Israel says it is letting in medical equipment. Hospitals still face shortages. A British doctor, Asiya Hanan, working at Nasser Hospital described two unrelated babies being placed in one incubator because of overcapacity. One deteriorated and needed intubation. The doctor said it was inappropriate and difficult to access the babies. One in three pregnancies in Gaza is now considered high risk.

Israel has blocked foreign journalists from entering Gaza for three years. Everything and everyone going in and out is tightly controlled. Israel says this is a long-standing policy to stop items that could be repurposed for military use or to make weapons. In the parts of Gaza not occupied by Israel, Hamas still has a tight grip, according to reporting. It clamps down on dissent and still recruits fighters.

International pressure and outlook

Pro-Palestinian rallies have been held around the world, including London, calling for the ceasefire to move to its next phase and for the humanitarian crisis to be addressed. Humanitarian efforts are largely controlled by Israeli authorities, and grassroots efforts are not enough. One correspondent said the situation looks like a holding pattern waiting for the next spark unless the ceasefire moves to a second phase or the two sides move closer to a two-state solution. People in Gaza feel pushed from the international spotlight by attention on Iran and Yemen, while they continue to suffer.