The truce announced for Gaza in October has steadily unravelled under the weight of repeated Israeli military actions that residents say have brought little respite from the genocidal war. Since the pause was declared, hundreds of civilians have been killed in strikes on homes, crowded shelters and residential streets, with communities describing the arrangement as a “truce in name only”. The sound of drones, artillery fire and armoured vehicles remains a constant, as large parts of the territory continue to be patrolled and raided despite terms initially presented as de-escalatory.

Local authorities say the pattern of violations has become almost predictable: night-time bombardments, incursions beyond agreed boundaries, and the detention of dozens of Palestinians, including minors, who are now classified as prisoners. Families attempting to return to damaged neighbourhoods report recovering bodies from beneath crushed houses and burnt vehicles, a task largely carried out by exhausted civil defence teams who warn they are unable to keep pace with the scale of destruction. Entire districts once home to tens of thousands now lie flattened, with survivors forced to move repeatedly in search of temporary safety.

Residents argue that the truce has been used not to stabilise conditions but to entrench military control, expand ground operations and accelerate the erasure of civilian infrastructure. Daily reports of air strikes and demolitions have reinforced fears that a new, harsher reality is being imposed on Gaza, one that threatens to make long-term recovery impossible. Community leaders have urged international mediators to intervene, insisting that without firm action the territory will continue to slide deeper into the consequences of an ongoing genocidal war that has already killed tens of thousands and displaced almost the entire population.