October 20, 2025

In the tense nights of October 20, 2025, mourners gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, to grieve Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, Israel announced it had resumed a fragile truce with Hamas, after fierce fighting over the weekend. The sides blame each other for breaking the ceasefire deal, brokered with help from US President Donald Trump. Around 9:30 p.m. Israel time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared it had "begun renewed enforcement of the ceasefire" and warned it would "respond firmly to any violation." This comes after Israel launched strikes on Hamas targets following an ambush in southern Gaza that killed two Israeli soldiers. Israel said it destroyed weapons-storage sites and tunnels used by Hamas. Aid shipments, paused during the fighting, have partly resumed, but the key Rafah border crossing remains closed. The White House expects the ceasefire to be tricky. US Vice-President JD Vance told reporters, "It’s going to be complicated. The best case scenario... there’s going to be fits and starts. Hamas is going to fire on Israel. Israel’s going to have to respond, of course. We think it has the best chance for sustainable peace but... there’s going to be hills and valleys." Vance added he might visit the region soon to help maintain the fragile truce. Hamas insists it wants to keep the ceasefire. They say they lost contact with some fighters in Rafah and can’t be held responsible for their actions. Trump seemed to agree, saying, "We want to make sure it’s very peaceful with Hamas... They’ve been quite rambunctious... We think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in that — rebels within. Either way, it has to be handled properly." According to Trump's plan, Hamas should disarm and hand over control to a foreign-supervised Palestinian authority. Hamas has yet to agree to these tough conditions, which are key for future peace talks. Ten days ago, in talks involving Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and the US, Hamas agreed to release 48 hostages, while the IDF started withdrawing troops. All 20 living hostages were freed a week ago, and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails. However, Hamas has only returned the remains of 12 deceased captives, saying they need help to find others amid Gaza's rubble. Israel accuses Hamas of stalling. Israeli forces have pulled back to a "yellow line," keeping just over half of Gaza under control. This allowed Palestinians to begin returning safely to cities like Gaza City and Khan Younis. But the fighting continues: on Sunday, Palestinians fired rockets and guns at Israeli troops in Rafah, killing two soldiers and injuring two others. Israeli air strikes hit sites as far north as Gaza City. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered "strong action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip." Aid is flowing into Gaza again but remains far below UN needs. The UN had warned of famine in parts of Gaza due to Israel’s blockade on essentials like food and medicine, though Israel denies famine is happening. The Trump-brokered deal has support from Arab, Muslim, and Western countries. A multi-national task force is forming in Israel, with military experts from at least two other countries joining the US-led effort. Germany sent soldiers to coordinate aid efforts. Netanyahu, who plans to run again in 2026, seems cautious about restarting a high-cost war that has hurt Israel's economy and forced many reservists from their jobs. This brutal war began with a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostage. Since then, over 68,000 Palestinians have died, according to Hamas-run health officials. The road to peace looks rocky, but for now, the ceasefire holds — with both sides watching closely for the next spark.

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Tags: Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Ceasefire, Trump, Middle east peace,