Ceasefire in Name Only: The Deadly Reality in Gaza Since the October Truce 

Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, as part of a larger peace plan, the truce has failed to stop the violence, with nearly 500 reported Israeli violations—including shootings, bombings, and incursions—leading to over 300 Palestinian deaths and hundreds more injured, while humanitarian aid deliveries have fallen dramatically short of promises, leaving Gaza’s health and nutrition crises unresolved and revealing a conflict that is frozen but far from resolved, with both sides trading blame and the foundational trust needed for subsequent peace phases eroding amid continued bloodshed.

Ceasefire in Name Only: The Deadly Reality in Gaza Since the October Truce 

The Fragile Truce: A Timeline of Violence 

When the United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, 2025, it offered a glimmer of hope for Gazans after two years of devastating conflict. The agreement, part of a 20-point peace plan unveiled by the Trump administration, promised an end to hostilities, the free flow of humanitarian aid, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces to designated “yellow lines” within Gaza . 

Six weeks later, that hope has been shattered by near-daily violence. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 497 times between October 10 and November 22 through airstrikes, artillery fire, direct shootings, and property demolitions . The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that these attacks have killed at least 347 Palestinians and injured 889 since the ceasefire began . 

Al Jazeera’s analysis reveals that Israel has attacked Gaza on 39 out of the 48 days since the truce began, meaning there were only eight days without reported violent incidents, deaths, or injuries . This pattern of continued hostilities has led many to question whether what was heralded as a ceasefire exists in anything but name. 

Understanding the Ceasefire Terms 

The ceasefire agreement, signed on October 13 by representatives from 30 countries (though notably absent both Israeli and Hamas leadership), outlined several key provisions for its first phase : 

• An immediate end to hostilities in Gaza between Israel and Hamas 

• Lifting Israel’s blockade on all aid into Gaza and stopping interference in aid distribution 

• Release of all captives held in Gaza by Hamas, both living and deceased 

• Release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and disappeared persons from Israeli jails 

• Withdrawal of Israeli forces to the designated “yellow line” boundary 

The agreement was meant to establish a foundation for more permanent peace talks, leaving the most intractable disputes for later negotiations . Instead, it has become another flashpoint in the long-standing conflict. 

The Human Cost: Documenting the Casualties 

Palestinian Deaths Under Ceasefire 

The Gaza Health Ministry, which maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts, has documented a steady stream of casualties despite the supposed truce . Some of the deadliest incidents include: 

• October 19: 45 Palestinians killed after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire following the death of two Israeli soldiers in Rafah  

• October 29: 109 Palestinians killed, including 52 children, after an exchange of gunfire in Rafah that killed one Israeli soldier  

• November 22: At least 21 Palestinians killed in drone and missile attacks throughout northern and central Gaza 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that at least 67 children have been killed in “conflict-related incidents” since the ceasefire began—a rate of approximately two children per day . As UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires starkly noted: “There’s only one party to the conflict in Gaza with the firepower to do airstrikes” . 

Table: Documented Casualties Since October 10 Ceasefire 

The Broader Context of Loss 

These recent deaths occur against the backdrop of staggering overall casualties from the two-year conflict. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 69,785 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, including 20,179 children . Another 170,965 have been injured . 

A study published in The Lancet estimated that traumatic injury deaths were significantly undercounted, while noting the potentially much larger death toll when including “indirect” deaths from health service disruption, food insecurity, and inadequate water and sanitation . The same study suggested that by May 2025, the actual death toll might have reached approximately 93,000—representing 4-5% of Gaza’s pre-war population . 

Ceasefire Violations: Patterns and Incidents 

The Gaza Government Media Office has categorized the 497 documented violations through November 22 into specific types : 

• 142 incidents of shooting at civilians 

• 21 incursions by Israeli military vehicles into residential areas beyond the agreed “yellow line” 

• 228 bombing and shelling incidents 

• 100 incidents of property demolition 

• 35 Palestinians detained from Gaza 

These violations reflect what appears to be a systematic pattern rather than isolated incidents. Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, has accused Israel of “fabricating pretexts to evade the agreement and return to a war of extermination” . 

The “Yellow Line” Disputes 

A particular point of contention has been the “yellow line”—the boundary to which Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw under the ceasefire terms. This unmarked boundary was meant to allow Israel to retain control over approximately 53% of Gaza while enabling Palestinian movement in the remaining areas . 

However, reports from the Gaza Government Media Office, residents, and journalists indicate that the Israeli military has advanced beyond this line in eastern Gaza City by some 300 meters . Hamas has accused Israel of pushing westwards beyond the agreed boundary, effectively changing the terms of the deal . The Israeli military has denied these reports . 

Humanitarian Crisis: The Unfulfilled Promises of the Truce 

The Blockade That Never Ended 

One of the cornerstone provisions of the ceasefire was the immediate lifting of Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid into Gaza. The agreement explicitly stated that “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip” . The reality has fallen dramatically short of this promise. 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), only half the required food aid is currently reaching Gaza, while a coalition of Palestinian relief agencies says total aid deliveries amount to just one-quarter of what was agreed under the ceasefire . From October 10 to November 25, only 5,458 aid trucks reached their intended destinations inside Gaza, according to the UN2720 Monitoring and Tracking Dashboard . 

The White House has claimed that nearly 15,000 trucks entered Gaza between October 10 and November 9, but this figure has been sharply disputed by Palestinians and aid groups . Complicating matters further, aid organizations report that Israeli inspections are causing significant delays, with trucks often stuck at crossings for days, increasing the risk of food spoilage . 

The Nutrition Crisis and Health System Collapse 

The limited aid that does get through often fails to address Gaza’s nutritional needs. Aid workers report that Israel has blocked essential nutritious items—including meat, dairy, and vegetables—while allowing non-nutritious foodstuffs such as snacks, chocolate, crisps, and soft drinks . 

This has exacerbated what was already a severe hunger crisis. Before the ceasefire, famine had been confirmed in the Gaza governorate in August 2025 . While the ceasefire has enabled some improvement—WFP partners have reached an estimated 107,472 pregnant and breastfeeding women and under-five children with preventive nutrition support—the situation remains dire . 

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health system continues to teeter on the brink of collapse. UNICEF reports that approximately 4,000 children require urgent medical evacuation for conditions that cannot be treated in Gaza . These include children with severe burns, shrapnel wounds, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, cancer patients who have missed months of treatment, and premature babies needing intensive care . 

As UNICEF’s Ricardo Pires poignantly noted: “Gaza’s doctors tell us of children they know how to save but cannot” . 

The Political Standoff: Accusations and Counterclaims 

Conflicting Narratives 

Both sides have traded accusations over who bears responsibility for the ceasefire violations. Israel has typically justified its attacks as responses to specific security incidents. For example, after an October 29 exchange of gunfire in Rafah that killed one Israeli soldier, Israeli forces killed 109 Palestinians, with former President Donald Trump defending the response as justified “retribution” . 

Similarly, on November 23, Israel launched air attacks that killed at least 24 Palestinians, including children, claiming it was responding to an attack by a Hamas fighter on Israeli soldiers in Israeli-occupied territory inside Gaza’s so-called yellow line . 

Hamas has denied many of these allegations. After the October 19 incident, Hamas’s armed wing pointed out that Israel controls the Rafah area and stated they had no contact with any Palestinian fighters there . The group has consistently accused Israel of fabricating pretexts to justify ongoing attacks . 

The Hostage and Prisoner Exchange 

One relative success of the ceasefire has been the progress on hostage and prisoner exchanges. On October 13, Hamas released all 20 remaining living Israeli captives in exchange for 250 Palestinians serving long prison sentences and 1,700 Palestinians who had been disappeared by Israel since October 7, 2023 . 

As part of the deal, Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of 28 Israeli captives in exchange for 360 Palestinian bodies held by Israel . As of November 26, Hamas had returned 26 Israeli captives’ bodies, with two remaining in Gaza . The group has stated it requires heavy excavation equipment to recover the remaining bodies buried under rubble from Israeli bombardment . 

Meanwhile, Israel has returned more than 300 Palestinian bodies, many of which showed signs of mutilation and torture . The identification process has been hampered by a lack of DNA testing kits and proper equipment, with Gaza’s Forensic Evidence Department requesting international assistance to establish proper laboratories . 

Regional and International Response 

The international community has responded with growing concern to the continued violence. UN agencies have been particularly vocal about the humanitarian consequences. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn from the World Health Organization summarized the paradox of the current situation: “although there’s a ceasefire, people still get killed” . 

Turkish, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators have continued meetings in Cairo to discuss advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement . This next phase is meant to include the deployment of an armed International Stabilization Force (ISF) and the development of an international body to govern Gaza and oversee reconstruction . 

Indonesia has indicated it plans to deploy 20,000 peacekeepers to this force, forming a composite brigade consisting of health, engineering, and mechanized support battalions . However, major questions hang over nearly every part of the plan, and the timeframe for implementation remains uncertain . 

Beyond the Battlefield: The Hidden Casualties 

The violence of the ceasefire period extends beyond airstrikes and shootings. According to a report by Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI), at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since October 2023 . The real toll is likely substantially higher because hundreds of detainees from Gaza are missing . 

These deaths, resulting from causes including physical violence, medical neglect, and malnutrition, represent an unprecedented casualty rate among Palestinian detainees—averaging one death every four days during the first eight months of the war . As Naji Abbas, director of PHRI’s prisoners and detainees department, noted: “This isn’t just an individual case here and there. It is systemic and it will continue” . 

Conclusion: A Ceasefire in Crisis 

The evidence from the first six weeks of the Gaza ceasefire paints a troubling picture of an agreement honored more in the breach than in the observance. With hundreds of violations documented, continued casualties, and unfulfilled humanitarian promises, the truce has failed to provide either the security or the relief it promised. 

What emerges is a conflict frozen but not resolved, with violence contained but not stopped. As Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from Gaza City, the truce deal is only “a ceasefire in name” . The attacks, he noted, have left Palestinians in Gaza with “a shattered sense of safety” despite the alleged truce . 

The continued bloodshed during this period of supposed peace raises fundamental questions about the viability of the current approach to resolving the Israel-Gaza conflict. With the first phase of the ceasefire failing to establish a foundation of trust or security, the more ambitious second phase—including the deployment of international peacekeepers and the establishment of new governance structures—faces even steeper challenges. 

As the international community struggles to salvage the peace process, the people of Gaza continue to pay the price in what remains, for them, a ceasefire in name only.