Western-backed “peace” leaves 68,000 dead as Trump’s truce delivers rubble and blockades.

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Following two years of war that has killed over 68,000 Palestinians, the U.S.-arranged ceasefire in October brought only a brief pause to a population exhausted by intense bombardment and forced to endure years of suffering and displacement. This “peace” caused a desperate mass movement as over 425,000 displaced residents began the long, frantic journey back to Gaza City and northern areas. Yet, the initial joy of the truce was immediately crushed by a “shocking and bitter” homecoming; for many, the landscape was reduced to rubble: it was “beyond imagination”.

The emotional toll of returning to destroyed homes is clear. People who had to leave their homes when Israeli tanks advanced, later came back and found their neighborhoods unrecognizable.

Some have witnessed Israeli forces use remote-controlled “robots”, armored vehicles packed with explosives, to demolish homes, leading them to describe the impact as feeling “as if a nuclear bomb has hit this place”. The grief is compounded by the ongoing toll: medical teams recovered 100 bodies following the partial army pullback, but an estimated 10,000 bodies remain trapped under 60 million tonnes of debris, requiring foreign assistance from specialists like those deployed by Turkey.

This fragile arrangement, presented as the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, proved immediately unstable. Gaza’s media office formally accused Israel of violating the truce 47 times in eight days, resulting in 38 Palestinian deaths. The most lethal incident saw 11 members of one family, including seven children, killed in a bus attack in the Zeitoun neighborhood after reportedly crossing the military’s unmarked yellow line. While the IDF claimed the vehicle posed an “imminent threat”, Palestinian officials noted civilians could not distinguish the imaginary boundary.

The truce's limited success regarding hostages was quickly complicated. In the first phase, 20 living Israelis were released, but the deal also required the return of those who had died. However, 16 deceased hostages have yet to be recovered. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately capitalized on this delay, conditioning the reopening of the crucial Rafah crossing on Hamas returning all bodies. As a result, aid remains desperately short.

The UN expressed alarm that vital northern crossings like Zikim and Erez remained closed, obstructing the delivery of essential supplies like water tanks, fuel, and baby diapers. In the north, people are facing contaminated water and a destroyed water treatment plant.

While President Trump plans a summit in Egypt to discuss the next steps, the viability of his proposed “Board of Peace” is fundamentally flawed, as Hamas explicitly rejected any “foreign guardianship” over Gaza’s governance. Furthermore, the truce cannot hold if Israeli policy remains centered on conflict: Netanyahu affirmed Israel would remain in Gaza to ensure the disarmament of Hamas, threatening further violence. The UN itself warned that the “real test” is whether this truce lasts longer than the previous one, highlighting the cyclical failure of international diplomacy to secure a lasting peace for the traumatized civilian population.

The ceasefire may pause the violence, but it cannot replace genuine freedom and reconstruction. Real peace for Gaza means Palestinians living safely at home, with the means to rebuild what has been destroyed.

Official sources:

• Middle East Monitor (2025) UN warns aid being hampered in Gaza as closed crossings block deliveries. Middle East Monitor. Available at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251022-un-warns-aid-being-hampered-in-gaza-as-closed-crossings-block-deliveries/ (Accessed: 27 October 2025)..

• Reuters (2025) Gazans trek to ruined homes as Israeli forces pull back under ceasefire. By Alexander Cornwell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi. Reuters. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-agree-gaza-ceasefire-return-hostages-2025-10-09/ (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

• The Guardian (2025a) Israel has violated ceasefire 47 times and killed 38 Palestinians, says Gaza media office. By Lorenzo Tondo. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/18/israel-has-violated-ceasefire-47-times-and-killed-38-palestinians-says-gaza-media-office (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

• The Guardian (2025b) ‘It’s like a nuclear bomb has hit’: shocked Palestinians return home to desolation. By Seham Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/18/its-like-a-nuclear-bomb-has-hit-shocked-palestinians-return-home-to-desolation (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

written by Silvia Cuccia