How the Gaza War Stands Right Now?

photo by hosnysalah on pixabay.com

After more than two years of intense conflict, the situation in Gaza remains extremely fragile: a cease-fire mediated on 10 October has reduced, but not eliminated, large-scale hostilities, opening some humanitarian corridors and initiating negotiations for what comes next. However, the truce is unstable, with exchanges of fire and rapid changes on the ground keeping civilians and humanitarian workers under constant threat.

From a humanitarian standpoint, relief efforts have increased but remain far below the needs. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that food convoys into Gaza have improved compared to peak war conditions, but they are still far short of the required volume to avoid famine in some areas. The logistical bottlenecks, damaged infrastructure, limited crossings, and limited transport capacity, continue to hamper effective delivery.

The healthcare system is severely compromised. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), many hospitals are out of service or functioning only partially due to shortages of staff, medicine, electricity and fuel; only a fraction of facilities remain able to provide critical care, with dire consequences for trauma patients, maternity cases and chronic illnesses. The combined impact of medical system collapse and mass destruction of infrastructure is placing enormous pressure on civilians.

The human toll and material destruction are massive. Monitoring organisations estimate tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, many more injured or missing, and widespread destruction of homes, public infrastructure and essential services. Recovery projections for Gaza are in the tens of billions of dollars, one estimate puts reconstruction needs around USD 70 billion to rebuild infrastructure, housing and basic services. Without political stability and security guarantees, the path to rebuilding remains unclear.

On the political and security front, involved powers and international mediators are negotiating next steps: prisoner and remains exchange mechanisms, cease-fire monitoring, and possible international stabilisation forces are on the table. But progress is fragile, and many unresolved issues remain, such as the disarmament of Hamas, the governance of Gaza, and the longer-term security arrangements.

In summary: there is now a pause in major hostilities and some alleviation of suffering via a fragile cease-fire and opening of limited aid access. But the situation is highly precarious. The immediate priorities include: significantly increasing and diversifying humanitarian access, rehabilitating essential services such as health and energy, and securing concrete commitments for reconstruction and civilian protection. Without these, any improvement risks being temporary.

Official Souces:

• Associated Press (2025) Vance says ceasefire in Gaza is going better than expected. AP News, 21 October 2025. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-10-21-2025-29925b9671834bba6e24adb5f2e35b51 

• The Washington Post (2025) Israel-Gaza war. The Washington Post, 21 October 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/israel-hamas-war 

• World Health Organization (2025) Conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and region. WHO. https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/conflict-in-Israel-and-oPt 

written by Sara Maggetto