On October 9, 2025, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. Less than three weeks after the implementation of the plan began, however, an Israeli force launched a bombardment that killed more than 100 Palestinians. This violation reveals how difficult it is to resolve the conflict and maintain true peace in Gaza.
This conflict between Israel and the Palestinians dates back to the Balfour Declaration issued by the British Government in 1917, when the UK stated its support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Displeased by the massive Jewish immigration following this announcement, an Arab revolt for independence erupted.
As the tension between Jews and Arabs escalated, international forces intervened. In 1947, the United Nations voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem being an international city. However, the Arab nations rejected the partition plan and launched an invasion right after Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948.
Violence broke out, and one of the regions that was most affected by the warfare was the Gaza Strip, a stretch of land surrounded by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea. The governing force of Gaza kept changing, and eventually, the military group Hamas took control of the territory. Hamas has refused to recognize Israel as a legitimate state; Israel, in turn, has considered Hamas a terrorist organization and carried out blockades.
Supporting the existence of a Jewish state, the United States has long been an ally of Israel, providing economic and military assistance. Additionally, the United States has used its veto power as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions censuring Israel dozens of times.
An outbreak of clashes changed the stance of the United States on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. Israel responded with a massive military offensive, taking more than 67,000 lives in Gaza. After more than five months, the UN Security Council finally adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The vote on the resolution was made possible by the abstention of the United States.
After this resolution, many ceasefire deals have been tried. Most recently, Israel and Palestine both agreed to the peace plan arranged by Donald Trump. At first, the ceasefire appeared to hold, as Hamas released several hostages. Nevertheless, tensions quickly resurfaced.
On October 28, Israel carried out heavy strikes across Gaza that killed 104 people, including 46 children. The Israeli military said it struck “dozens of terror targets and terrorists” in response to Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire deal—an attack in Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier. Hamas said it had “no connection” to the attack and that Israel was trying to undermine the deal.
The ceasefire’s failure indicates how deeply rooted the conflict remains. Nevertheless, this plan signals that the United States is balancing between its support for Israel and humanitarian responsibility. Lasting peace may still be distant, but at least international forces are striving to keep hope alive.
Works Cited
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