The truce mediated by the United States and in force for a few days between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas is held on a thin thread that is probably destined to break. Already in the first week it has suffered a harsh blow, amid Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip – at least 20 attacks – which have killed, again, dozens of Palestinians, while Israel accuses Hamas of having violated the truce by attacking its troops in Rafah.
Hamas, for its part, rejects the accusation and claims the continuity of the ceasefire.
What has happened since the ceasefire agreement was put in place?
On Friday 10 October the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force and Israeli forces began to withdraw. On Monday 13th Hamas delivered 20 live hostages to Israel, but only the remains of four deceased hostages of the 28 agreed upon were returned.
In exchange, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and approximately 1,700 detainees. Yesterday, Sunday 19 October, Israel carried out airstrikes hitting dozens of Hamas targets across Gaza. Both sides accused each other of breaking the ceasefire agreement.
Palestinian authorities report at least 42 deaths in just one of the raids (Sunday), and overall 97 dead and 230 injured since the truce came into force.
As if that wasn’t enough, Israel would once again suspend the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, justifying the measure as a response to the alleged violation of the truce by Hamas. He then announced that the truce would still be reaffirmed and that aid convoys would resume on Monday. In Israeli political circles, especially in the right-wing components, there was an immediate change in mood: there is talk again of the resumption of military operations if the violations continue.
The US administration declared “rapid credible evidence” that Hamas could violate the truce, complaining of a possible “imminent violation”. And it didn’t take Hamas long to brand these accusations as Israeli propaganda.
The human (and environmental) tragedy
The conflict in Gaza is not just a military issue: it is a human and environmental tragedy that affects every aspect of life. Each bombing wipes out houses, schools, hospitals and fragments of nature, in an area already exhausted. The Gaza Strip has always lived in extreme conditions: access to drinking water is reduced to a minimum, the electricity grid works intermittently, health services are collapsing and humanitarian aid arrives in fits and starts.
Talking about the sustainability of peace means remembering that a ceasefire is not just a political act, but a concrete choice of collective survival. The stability of Gaza and the Middle East concerns everyone: without real peace, no model of sustainable development can hold.
Finally, there is the environmental impact, often invisible but devastating. Wars leave behind contaminated soil, unbreathable air, destroyed ecosystems and tons of toxic debris. Telling all this means looking beyond the news of the war: following the reconstruction, the resilience of the communities and the slow attempt to restore life to a wounded land.
The most relevant updates
So how are things? If there are new violations and escalations: the truce is already “swinging” and each attack can reopen a broader military phase. As for the redistribution of aid and its actual entry into the Strip, if the convoys do not arrive, the humanitarian crisis will worsen again. And that’s what we fear most.
