Palestinians in Gaza have expressed scepticism about Donald Trump’s announcement that the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has begun, amid a continuing humanitarian crisis and ongoing Israeli attacks.
– Israeli forces have continued deadly attacks across Gaza despite a United States announcement about the launch of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
– At least 463 Palestinians have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect in October last year.
– Trump has announced he will chair what’s being called a “Board of Peace” to govern Gaza.
– At least 71,455 people have been killed and 171,347 wounded by Israeli forces across Gaza since October 2023.
– A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and about 200 were taken captive.
– Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin has said the military is “closely following” and assessing regional developments and is prepared to react to a “wide range of scenarios”.
– Satellite images show that the Israeli military is controlling more than 50 percent of Gaza.
– It has already changed the location of the yellow demarcation line multiple times, allowing Israeli forces to control more land.
– The Israeli military and political officials are making a link between the Israeli withdrawal from these areas, with the full disarmament of armed factions and the return of the last Israeli body from Gaza.
– President Trump has issued a new demand, accompanied by threatening language, that Hamas disarm.
– Trump pledged on social media late on Thursday to achieve a “comprehensive” demilitarisation Hamas, threatening the Palestinian group if it fails to do so, and demanded the return the remains of the last Israeli captive.
– “Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization.”
– “As I have said before, they can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”
– People are sceptical about the prospects of success for phase two of the agreement while violations are ongoing and inflammatory statements are being made by the Israeli side regarding the withdrawal and reconstruction of Gaza.
– Satellite images show 80 percent of buildings have been at least partially damaged or completely razed by more than two years of Israeli bombardment.
– The destruction has created an estimated 61 million tonnes of rubble.
– The executive director of the UN Office for Project Services, Jorge Moreira da Silva, has said the volume of rubble in Gaza has exceeded 60 million tonnes and removing it may take more than seven years.
– The rubble isn’t just an obstacle – it’s dangerous. Aid groups warn it may contain unexploded ordnance, toxic materials and unstable structures that could collapse at any moment.
– Following a visit to Gaza, da Silva described the scale of the destruction as unbelievable, stressing that it affected homes, schools, clinics, and water and electricity networks
– He explained that 60 million tonnes of rubble is equivalent to the load of about 3,000 container ships.
– Israeli settlers have carried out attacks on Palestinians east of Ramallah and northwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
– Illegal settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, opened fire and stormed grazing lands south of the village of al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah.
What did phase one of the ceasefire agreement actually deliver?
Phase one of Trump’s plan was designed to stop the fighting, facilitate the exchange of captives, set a boundary for Israeli withdrawal, allow the full entry of aid and open the Rafah crossing.
But most of the goals under the plan never became a reality on the ground:
- The attacks did not stop, with Israel killing at least 451 Palestinians and wounding 1,251 since October last year.
- All Israeli captives have been returned from Gaza except for the remains of one, while Israel has not released all the Palestinian prisoners agreed on, a member of the Hamas political bureau says.
- Israel was supposed to withdraw its troops to an area demarcated by the so-called “yellow line”, taking up more than half of Gaza. But Israeli forces have been moving boundary markers, expanding their areas of control.
- The ceasefire stipulated that “full aid will be immediately sent” into Gaza. But Israel continues to restrict aid, with less than half the number of aid trucks entering that were supposed to have been allowed in, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
- The Rafah crossing was supposed to open, but it remains closed by Israel.
In numbers: Casualties across Gaza and occupied West Bank
As Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues, alongside ongoing settler and Israeli military violence in the occupied West Bank, here is a closer look at the figures since October 2023 shared by the Palestinian Health Ministry:
Gaza Strip
- At least 71,441 Palestinians killed
- More than 171,329 Palestinians wounded
- Since the ceasefire in October 2025, at least 451 Palestinians killed and 1,251 wounded.
Occupied West Bank
- More than 1,106 Palestinians killed and 10,904 wounded
- Nearly 21,000 Palestinians arrested
- About 9,300 currently held in Israeli jails, with 3,385 Palestinians detained without charge or trial.
– Announcement of second phase brings more Israeli attacks
– The latest air strikes were concentrated on the central city of Deir el-Balah, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding many more.
– The recent attacks underscore that Israel is trying to keep military options on the table despite the talk of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement starting.
– The situation for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remains dire. The shadow of war shows no sign of easing in light of these attacks.