Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 10. US President Donald Trump and his supporting allies negotiated a hostage release as they enacted the first phase of the 20-Point Peace Plan. The exchange intensified after the 20 living Israeli hostages were returned on Oct. 14.
Five days later, Gaza experienced an air strike from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). They justified the attack after two of their military soldiers were reported dead in Rafah. Hamas allegedly carried out an elimination order, but the terrorist organization clarified that communications with their soldiers in the field was cut off in March. After US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel, negotiators have confirmed that the ceasefire is expected to continue.
The IDF Breaks Ceasefire Commitment
The IDF confirmed to CBS News that they ordered an air strike on Rafah. They used their artillery and aircraft in the Gaza Strip after two soldiers were alleged to have been killed by Hamas in Rafah. An Israeli military official claimed that their members used a rocket-propelled grenade and a sniper rifle. “Both the incidents occurred in a controlled Israeli area, east of the yellow line,” he explained. “This is a bold violation of the ceasefire.”
Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam, responded that they were unaware of the IDF killings due to be cut off from it’s ground forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressured the terrorist organization back in March. He strategically threatened to pause Gaza aid and electricity if Hamas refused to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release. Hamas is currently unable to contact allies after Israel cut power to their territory on March 9.
The recent air strike was also planned back in April 2024. According to The Associated Press (AP), Prime Minister Netanyahu planned an assault against Rafah to destroy Hamas’s final stronghold. The Biden administration opposed the plan because it would force Palestinians into Egypt and break their 40-year-old peace agreement. The IDF greenlit the on Oct. 19. Local hospitals have reported that the air strike had killed 45 people.
The UN Questions Israel’s Gaza Aid Control
When the Rafah air strike occurred, Israel temporarily paused Gaza relief aid to pressure Hamas to agree to continue the ceasefire. Vice President Vance and other US officials traveled to Tel Aviv to discuss with Prime Minister Netanyahu the next steps in the 20-Point Peace Plan. Despite the peace, the United Nations (UN) has ongoing concerns for Palestinians on the Yellow Line.
Communications Officer Mai Elawawada informed Sky News that certain supplies are not reaching the Strip. “We are receiving the quantities that are not as promised,” the charity worker told Kamali Melbourne. “There are hundreds of thousands of people with untreated wounds, whom we are expecting to lose if the situation continues.”
Palestinians of Gaza have not received the needed medical supplies, such as ventilators and oxygen tanks, since the ceasefire. Israel’s actions to make the Strip suffer have the UN questioning its intentions. The nation has thrown accusations at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Aid (UNRWA) of having a secret alliance with Hamas since 2024. The Israeli Parliament passed two bills that prevented the agency from monitoring within Israeli territory.
Due to the lack of surveillance and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s tactics, the world witnessed Gaza suffer from starvation, fatigue, murder, and injuries. On July 21, CNN reported that 1,054 people died in an attempt to reach the UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations. On the same day, 186 journalists were eliminated and 89 imprisoned in attempts to silence the media.
As the efforts for the ceasefire continue, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Oct. 22, advised Israel to allow the needed Palestinian supplies into Gaza. “The occupying power may never invoke reasons of security to justify the general suspension of all humanitarian activities in occupied territory,” Judge Iwasawa Yuji said in the published opinion. “After examining the evidence, the court finds that the Gaza Strip has been inadequately supplied.”
The ICJ also acknowledged that the Israeli Parliament has not presented substantial evidence that the UNRWA’s 13,000 employees are Hamas-affiliated. “In the present circumstances, the United Nations, acting through the UNRWA, has been an indispensable provider of humanitarian relief in the Strip,” Judge Yuji added.
What’s Happening Now?
Among the US-Israel meetings, Palestinians and Israelis have hosted their funerals for their loved ones. 54 unidentified Palestinian bodies were honored after they were returned and buried in Del el-Balah. Among those that Hamas returned was the late Israeli Major Tal Haimi. He was one of the promised 28 deceased hostages in the ceasefire exchange.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is prepared for Gaza’s health catastrophe as over 15,000 patients await evacuation. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is aware that the shelter zone is under-equipped to treat patients and keep newborns alive. Like the UN, he believes that humanitarian aid should not be a weapon.
Finally, the second step of the 20-Point Peace Plan is aimed at confiscating Hamas’ weaponry. If the social organization agrees to disarm itself, the IDF will establish a security division called the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza. Palestine will be under a reformed authority.
