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One Year On, Gaza’s Ceasefire Deal Remains Stalled

Despite Israel and Hamas signing an agreement, Palestinians are no closer to rebuilding their lives

On October 9, 2025, Hamas and Israel agreed, through mediated talks, to a multi-stage plan outlined by the United States–led Board of Peace to end the fighting and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, among other objectives.

Under the agreement, Hamas and Israel would halt military operations, Hamas would return the remaining hostages from among the 251 taken on October 7, 2023, to Israel, and Israeli troops would withdraw to a so-called yellow line in Gaza. After the remains of the last hostage were returned, in January 2026, negotiations focused on a reconstruction plan, Hamas’s disarmament, Israel’s withdrawal from the territory, and establishing an interim authority in Gaza.

But the highly criticized plan, imposed by a body established by Donald Trump, has seen little to no progress. Hamas refuses to disarm and Israel refuses to withdraw. Israel has continued its attacks, claiming to target Hamas militants, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians over the past year. To compound the uncertainty, Israelis are heading into legislative elections on October 27, when they will vote on whether to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition in power.

What does all this look like on the ground, particularly for people in Gaza? Walid Batrawi, an award-winning journalist and media trainer, came to Canada from Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, in March 2024. We spoke about the current stalemate and what it might take to move forward.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

It’s been nearly a year since the ceasefire was reached. Where do things stand now?

My question would be: What ceasefire? Maybe the massive killings of Palestinians are not as severe as before, but the targeted killing of Palestinians has been ongoing. The destruction has been ongoing. The Israelis are still in the Gaza Strip.

I think that what is called a ceasefire was kind of rushed. Of course, we as Palestinians wanted a ceasefire, because this is the only way that the killing would stop. We wanted, even more than a ceasefire, that the war would stop. But unfortunately, it did not.

An agreement on a resolution to this war and the consequences of October 7 are not only limited to the Gaza Strip. See what’s happening in the West Bank. One has to always remember that the West Bank is not a different story from the Gaza Strip. Even before October 7, the West Bank was under fire. When I was there, there was no day without having at least two people being killed by the Israelis. But no one counted this as a war.

Do you think the ongoing talks to further the deal will lead anywhere?

Every time we hear about a breakthrough, is this something that is really happening? Hamas and Israeli representatives can meet in Cairo or wherever, whether indirectly or directly, through the Americans, the Egyptians, Qataris, or Saudis. But for the people in Gaza, all this does not matter. What they want is for the killing to stop, the war to stop, for the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, for humanitarian aid to start getting in, and for reconstruction to start.

So far, even the administrative committee that was formed has not set foot in the Gaza Strip. When I speak to people in Gaza, they don’t want to continue living on hopes that things will improve. They want to see things happening. And so far, nothing is happening. And I believe that the more we talk about a breakthrough, the more disappointed people in Gaza are. Because they would have raised expectations, and then nothing happens. So it’s more disappointment and more frustration that there’s no future for them.

What do you think it would take to achieve those goals?

I think it will not happen. The Israelis have always said Hamas’s access to weapons is an issue. Hamas has argued about that. For me, all these negotiations are nonsense, because people are suffering. I speak to many people in Gaza on a daily basis, and they are fed up with everything........

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