After more than two years of continuous bloodshed, loss and humanitarian crises across Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories — including the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem — the first phase of a multi-step ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Oct. 10, following pressure from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi co-hosted the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, to sign the ceasefire document and discuss next steps toward fostering peace in the region.
During his speech, el-Sisi painted a picture of a harmonious Middle East and praised Trump for his involvement in facilitating the agreement.
“I would seize this opportunity to extend a call to the people of Israel,” el-Asisi said. “Let us ensure this historic moment ushers in a new beginning for a life defined by justice and peaceful coexistence. Let us look forward together to a brighter future for the children of our nations.”
Per the agreement’s requirements in the first phase, Israel and Hamas participated in a trade of the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,7000 Gaza detainees. Israeli forces have begun to withdraw, even though they still occupy approximately half of Gaza, and have approved the arrival of 190,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to enter the area.
By killing at least nine Palestinians on Tuesday, Oct. 14, according to Al Jazeera, and limiting humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have violated the agreements outlined in the accord’s first phase. Nonetheless, the deal has entered its second phase, which includes establishing a new governing body in Gaza and disarming Hamas.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 67,173 Palestinians were killed and 169,780 were injured between Oct. 7, 2023, and Oct. 7, 2025, and nearly the entire area’s population was displaced.
“[The ceasefire deal] will bring respite to people who survived the worst bombardment, displacement, loss and grief for two long years,” wrote Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Distrust Rooted in Past Violence
Although the initial phases of a peace accord are the first steps toward liberation and reversing the humanitarian crises Palestinians have suffered for the last two years and beyond, many are wary of Israel’s claimed commitment to the deal, as the state is notorious for violating similar agreements, such as the Oct. 14 shooting.
“Everyone’s got trust issues,” said Palestinian journalist and author Plestia Alaqad, whose daily coverage of the violence Palestinians were enduring in 2023 gained international attention.
Alaqad and her family fled to Egypt in November 2023 once Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip drastically worsened. The 23-year-old has since moved to Australia and, more recently, to Lebanon to complete her master’s degree in media studies at the American University of Beirut. She recently published a book, “The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience,” which featured her diary excerpts from living through the occupation’s constant attack on Palestinian life.
“No one will believe that the genocide is over until they wake up not to the sound of rockets or martyrdom news. Just because there is a ceasefire doesn’t mean that life in Gaza will return to normal,” Alaqad continued.
Palestinian journalist and human rights advocate Yara Eid holds the same sentiment.
In August 2014, Eid, who is now living in London, survived a series of bombardments, known as Black Friday, by Israel on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This bombing campaign came just a few hours after the U.N. arranged a temporary ceasefire, which was supposed to last at least three days, to the conflict that began in July of that year.
With more than 2,000 bombs and missiles fired against those in Rafah, this peace agreement violation killed more than 200 people and destroyed more than 2,600 homes in the city over a span of four days.
“I don’t trust Israel,” Eid said to viewers via Instagram. “I don’t trust an occupying power that carried out the genocide that killed more than 60,000 people– most of them women and children.”
Both Eid and Alaqad urge their audiences to be cautious when consuming media regarding what’s happening on the ground in Gaza, as they could be subject to misinformation in the days following the initial ceasefire deal.
Alaqad is suspicious of the fact that thousands of Gazans are missing, with no one seeming to know whether or not they’re alive, dead or abducted. In June, the U.N. reported that more than 11,000 individuals were unaccounted for since the onslaught of attacks began in October 2023, due to the lack of accurate statistics.
“After the genocide is over, things start to unravel,” she said. “Don’t forget that the main reason we lack information is that journalists are being targeted.”
Right after the most recent ceasefire agreement went into effect, journalist Saleh Al-Jafarawi was reportedly shot and killed by members of an Israeli-backed “militia” while covering a confrontation between them and Hamas in Gaza City.
The 28-year-old, who was loved by many in his community, had become widely known for his consistent and transparent coverage of the conditions Palestinians faced throughout the last two years. He was one of more than 230 journalists killed in Gaza since 2023. Al-Jafarawi’s death shows that the road to peace and Palestinian liberation is still long and full of obstacles, even in the face of a new ceasefire agreement.
“Yes, we want a permanent ceasefire, but that is not the end goal,” Eid said. “The end goal is a free Palestine. Free Palestine always.”