January 1, 2026
Marty Levine
In early October, President Trump announced that he had brought an end to two years of carnage in Gaza by getting the sides to agree to his 20-point cease-fire plan. Hamas would release all of the remaining hostages and the remains of those who had died in captivity. Israel would stop its destruction of Gaza and withdraw its forces beyond a temporary line bisecting Gaza from north to south. Supplies would begin to flow, allowing people to eat, restoring medical care, and rebuilding the flattened landscape. A new international security force would be formed to ensure domestic tranquility for the population of Gaza, and an esteemed “Board of Peace” chaired by President Trump would assume responsibility for guiding Gaza toward its prosperous future.
It is now almost three months since that glorious vision was unveiled, and we can now see what such a ceasefire actually looks like.
The hostages have been released except for the remains of one police man who was killed on October 23, 2025. Hamas says that the location of these remains is unknown.
Israel has withdrawn its troops behind the so-called yellow line but continues to attack Gazans daily. The New York Times reported on December 24th that “Palestinian officials say that 406 people have been killed since the cease-fire, including 157 children.” And Israeli officials are talking about permanently taking over parts of the Gaza Strip. Here’s Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz speaking on December 23 as reported by The Times of Israel:
With God’s help, when the time comes, also in northern Gaza, we will establish Nahal pioneer groups in place of the settlements that were evacuated,” he said. “We’ll do it in the right way, at the appropriate time.”
And the flow of supplies into Gaza remains heavily controlled by Israel, resulting in a continuing shortage of the essentials for life. Just days ago, UNICEF reported on deaths due to the wet and cold conditions of winter in Gaza.
UNICEF is deeply saddened by the preventable tragic death of Ata Mai, a seven-year-old boy, who drowned on 27 December during severe flooding in an improvised camp for internally displaced people in Sudaniyeh, northwest of Gaza City, the most recent child in Gaza to die due to the extreme winter conditions and lack of safe shelters. At least five other children have lost their lives in December after being exposed to such harsh conditions.
Just days ago, Israel announced it was barring 37 international aid organizations from working in any part of Gaza. According to CNN:
Israel said Tuesday it will suspend the operations of international aid groups that did not renew their registration, which includes requiring organizations working in Gaza to provide personal details of their staff members.
Aid agencies have repeatedly voiced concerns over those requirements, citing the safety of their employees.
Israel’s move comes as 10 countries warned that Gaza’s humanitarian situation is facing “renewed deterioration” and that conditions in the enclave “remain catastrophic.”
Gaza, which lies in ruins, is enduring a harsh winter, with heavy rain and plunging temperatures worsening already dire living conditions.
I’m sharing the entire list because I want you to grasp the scope of this ban.
- Action Against Hunger
- ActionAid
- Alianza por la Solidaridad
- Campaign for the Children of Palestine
- CARE
- DanChurchAid
- Danish Refugee Council
- Handicap International: Humanity & Inclusion
- Japan International Volunteer Center
- Medecins du Monde France
- Medecins du Monde Switzerland
- Medecins Sans Frontieres Belgium
- Medecins Sans Frontieres France
- Medecins Sans Frontieres Netherlands
- Medecins Sans Frontieres Spain
- Medicos del Mundo
- Mercy Corps
- Norwegian Refugee Council
- Oxfam Novib (Oxfam’s Dutch affiliate)
- Premiere Urgence Internationale
- Terre des hommes Lausanne
- International Rescue Committee
- WeWorld-GVC
- World Vision International
- Relief International
- Fondazione AVSI
- Movement for Peace-MPDL
- American Friends Service Committee
- Medico International
- Palestine Solidarity Association in Sweden
- Defense for Children International
- Medical Aid for Palestinians UK
- Caritas Internationalis
- Caritas Jerusalem
- Near East Council of Churches
- Oxfam Quebec
- War Child Holland
Haaretzhas provided an important perspective of how critical trhe work of these organizations are.
Since the war began, Israel has relieved itself of responsibility for Gaza’s civilians, despite its obligations under international law. That responsibility has instead been pushed onto UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations…
That campaign did not prevent Israel from claiming credit for the aid that eventually reached Gaza. This week, Israel’s military coordination body for the Palestinian territories published a social media post summarizing its activities over the past year.
Styled after Spotify’s annual “Wrapped” feature, the post claimed that nearly 1.85 million tons of humanitarian aid – “the equivalent of 308,000 African elephants” – had entered Gaza…
More fundamentally, Israel did not deliver this aid. At most, it authorized its entry. The funding, procurement and distribution were carried out by the same international organizations that Israeli officials have consistently attacked. After taking public credit for their work, Israel has now stripped many of them of permission to continue operating…
This latest decision is likely to worsen humanitarian conditions in Gaza and increase civilian suffering and death.
No progress has been announced on the creation of the international Peace Force nor on the membership and process of the Board of Peace. So, governance of Gaza remains as tattered as the landscape itself.
On the ground, for the people living in Gaza, this is where things stand. Notably absent from all of this are their voices.
The fact that they have no voice or seat at any table should be of concern. When President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier this week, they were absent. The two leaders could talk about their fate without caring at all about hearing from them. For the President and the Prime Minister, the suffering that continues seems inconsequential. Their hopes and dreams are of no consequence. Only the interests of Israel and President Trump matter.
Not to be forgotten is that there is also no ceasefire on the West Bank. Israel continues, in fact expands, its efforts to drive Palestinians from their homes and lands and expand the scope of Jewish settlement in what was once to be part of a Palestinian state. This is done violently under the cover of Israel’s army and legally with the certification of Israel’s Knesset. As reported by the Guardian:
Israel has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that poses a further threat to the possibility of a Palestinian state.
It brings the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, a new record, according to the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who has pushed a settlement expansion agenda in the West Bank. The latest include two that were previously evacuated during a 2005 disengagement plan.
The approval by the security cabinet increases the number of settlements in the West Bank by nearly 50% during the current government’s tenure. In 2022, there were 141 settlements across the West Bank. After the latest approval there are 210, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group.
Settlements are considered illegal under international law.
What is the hope when only one side is heard? What is the hope when that side is the one with massive military power?
This is not a ceasefire that can last. Desperate people do desperate things, and this is a cease-fire that is only building desperation.
