The Gaza Strip post-ceasefire
- hh7003
- Apr 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Owen Armentrout
April 21, 2025
On Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, declared that the Israeli Defense Forces would remain stationed at “security zones” in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely. This story is developing.
Over the course of the last week, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 92 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera.
Among them, a medic; massacred by a strike that took place just outside the Kuwait Field Hospital in Gaza’s Mawasi district, notably, an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone populated by hundreds of thousands of civilians. Currently, only 21 of 36 hospitals in the Strip are somewhat functional, although almost all of them have sustained significant damage at some point, according to the United Nations.
On Saturday, Israel bombed Mawasi again, this time earmarking tent encampments, according to Al Jazeera. It’s important to note that while each strike is verified by a human, many of Israel’s airstrike targets in Gaza are generated by artificial intelligence. These systems are known as Lavender and the Gospel.
The ceasefire ended a little over a month ago when Israel carried out “Operation Strength and Sword”, launching strikes into Gaza, killing more than 400, many of which being women and children, according to NPR. Since then, at least 1,700 people have had their lives brought short at the hands of the IDF, Al Jazeera reported.
The map above displays cities in the Gaza Strip that have recently been targeted by Israeli airstrikes and shootings. Figures provided by Reuters and The Guardian.
Gaza City: Suffered the brunt of strikes carried out during Operation Strength and Sword.
Al Mawasi: Over 15 killed in airstrikes conducted last week.
Rafah: 15 paramedics killed across three shootings on March 23.
Jabalia: 13 killed between two airstrikes conducted last week.
Beit Lahia: Seven killed in an airstrike last week.
For over six weeks now, Israel has blockaded medical supplies, food, fuel, and countless other necessities from entering Gaza. Netanyahu continues to affirm that starvation is not being tailored as a war tactic; however, one tends to be inclined towards framing their actions as something that doesn’t constitute a war crime.
It should be mentioned that Hamas recently declined a 45-day ceasefire proposal. The terms stated that Hamas would have had to release 10 of the hostages and disarm themselves. Their response stated that conditions will not be met until an end to the war or a full withdrawal is guaranteed. They also refused to lay down their weapons, claiming it’s their “natural right” to bear arms, according to The Guardian.
Despite a seemingly ever-mounting disdain for this conflict, on Saturday, Netanyahu stated that Israel is essentially being forced to prolong this conflict, echoing sentiments of preservation and ultimately, labeling Hamas’ ceasefire rejection as the justification for perpetual bombardment.
The fact of the matter is, Israel struck the first blow when the ceasefire collapsed, and the attack was approved by the United States, according to NPR.
Israeli culture professor Marc Bernstein of Michigan State University says that Israel is exerting force because it believes Hamas will not negotiate in good faith otherwise.
In truth, a ceasefire was never fully in effect; hostage negotiations and exchanges took place, and overall militant activity decreased significantly, but skirmishes and airstrikes continued to occur throughout the three months of supposed peace, according to Reuters.
Also important to note, in the same speech, Netanyahu rehashed the notion that with Hamas in power, President Trump’s ideas of grandeur regarding the United States assuming control of Gaza and rebuilding it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” will never be consummated.
Protesting this proposal of ethnic cleansing as an immigrant, regardless of your legal status in the United States, may find you joining over 1000 students and graduates who have either been detained or had their visas revoked since Trump took office, according to CNN.
Several of whom, such as Mahmoud Khalil, who was recently approved for deportation, have been placed in ICE detention centers; justified by the fact that they’re deemed “national security threats” for attending pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.
Free speech has come under threat at the behest of our ally.
That being said, these are not the only protests relating to the conflict that have taken place recently. Last month, hundreds of activists took to the streets in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, calling for Hamas to relinquish power. The day prior to the demonstration, the IDF had evacuated large portions of the city following a rocket attack by an Islamic Jihad member, according to the BBC.
Furthermore, over 100,000 Israelis marched in various cities across the country for several days last month, demanding that hostage exchanges resume and peace be established.
Some of those in attendance expressed that they feel Netanyahu has abandoned the hostages and abused his authority in order to prolong the war so he may remain in office, according to NPR.
Middle Eastern history professor James Gelvin of UCLA backs up this theory, stating that Netanyahu’s regime would collapse if the ceasefire stayed in effect.
Regardless, as previously stated, Netanyahu denoted that Hamas is standing in the way of
Trump’s vision for the Gaza Strip; so, one can only assume that the mass eviction of Palestinians will come soon after Hamas’ reign ends.
But where are these refugees supposed to go?
Many Arab nations have pledged aid to Gaza, and some are even host to hundreds of thousands to millions of Palestinians; however, despite Trump’s remarks that these refugees would be sent to Egypt or Jordan, nearly all the Arab nations have stated that they are firmly against the relocation of a Palestinian homeland within their borders.
At this juncture, it’s entirely uncertain if this displaced multitude would be welcomed anywhere in the Arab world, regardless of the circumstances. Frankly, with all the present tension, it almost seems like a reiteration of the Nakba. Perhaps the first time, it was just a rehearsal.
Now, one could argue that Netanyahu has been emboldened by the Trump administration, yet earlier this month, on April 2, the White House announced a 17% tariff on Israeli goods; while these tariffs have been delayed until July, it begs the question: where do things go from here?
While this could be interpreted as the first move in distancing ourselves from our ally and this conflict, that’s simply not the case. Reinforcing our stance the following day on April 3, the U.S. Senate shot down a proposal to block arms shipments to Israel. Our support for ethnic cleansing, nowhere near unanimous, remains unwavering.
It’s unclear as to when a ceasefire will arise once again, but it doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. Estimates have placed the Palestinian death toll at more than 51,000, with another 10,000 thought to still be buried under rubble, according to Al Jazeera. Nearly a third of those victims are under the age of 18, according to Reuters.
For a brief overview of the conflict’s history, turn your attention to this timeline.
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