Gaza’s cease-fire, explained: what paused, what didn’t, and why this truce is so fragile

Fragile pause tests Gaza’s peace

A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas largely held on Monday, enabling a final exchange of Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and opening the way for a surge of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip. But across the enclave—reduced by two years of war to rubble and grief—the mood was subdued, with many residents calling the truce a reprieve rather than a turning point, the New York Times reported.

Civilian toll tempers relief

Local health officials say more than 67,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in October 2023, a tally that does not distinguish combatants from civilians and includes thousands of children. Families described flattened homes, long-disrupted medical care and untreated injuries as hospitals ran short of staff, power and spare parts.

Aid ramps up under truce terms

Under the deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, agencies moved to scale up deliveries, including cooking gas for the first time in months. At least 600 trucks of food, medicine and essentials are slated to enter daily, and the Rafah crossing with Egypt is to reopen. Union officials said 17 bakeries had restarted in central and southern Gaza—small markers of routine amid wreckage.

Exchange completed, questions linger

The cease-fire enabled the return of the last living Israeli hostages and the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. While the swaps drew emotional scenes, residents said the exchanges could not offset the scale of loss, and many remained wary of a relapse into violence.

Street control remains contested

With Israeli forces pulling back from some areas, small squads of Hamas’s internal security reappeared at intersections, signalling the group’s intent to police public space. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported clashes with rival gunmen in Gaza City, underscoring the fragility of order during the pause.

Political endgame still undefined

Israel’s leadership says the war will not end until Hamas’s governing and military structures are dismantled. Hamas has indicated openness to a civilian handover to another Palestinian entity but has not agreed to disarmament. The gap leaves the truce without a clear political landing.

Mixed signals from mediators

During a visit tied to the hostage release, President Donald Trump said Washington could tolerate a limited, short-term role for Hamas in basic policing to prevent lawlessness, while backing a broader postwar security plan and training for a new Palestinian police force. How such plans would mesh with Israel’s conditions—and Hamas’s armed presence—remains unresolved.

Daily life restarts, cautiously

Queues formed outside bakeries as ovens relit. Clinics tested partial hours, schools weighed classes under tarpaulins, and market stalls returned with staples. Residents said immediate needs—steady food, functioning clinics, safe water, and clarity on returning to damaged homes—were paramount.

Humanitarian gains at risk without deal

Aid groups warned that progress could evaporate without a durable political track and predictable access. For now, trucks are rolling, ovens are hot and guns are mostly silent. The distance between a pause and peace, residents say, remains wide—and the clock on this calm is already ticking.