The Israel-Hamas war: Trump's peace plan, the 2025 ceasefire and what followed

The ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, as Israeli troops withdrew to agreed lines and displaced Palestinians began returning north to damaged homes.^[2][12][13] Hamas freed the last 20 living hostages in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.^[3] Returns of hostages' remains continued over subsequent months, with disputes over some remains handed over.^[14][15] Israel kept the Rafah crossing closed during that period.^[16] In January 2026, Israel announced the recovery of Ran Gvili, the final hostage whose remains were still in Gaza.^[4] Rafah partially reopened on February 2 for limited pedestrian travel.^[17]

The truce remained fragile. Fighting resumed during an October weekend before the ceasefire was renewed.^[18] Later that month, local health officials reported around 100 people killed, including children, in Israeli strikes; Israel then said the ceasefire was back in force.^[5] In May 2026, Israel said it killed Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, whose death Hamas also confirmed.^[19] Health officials reported further Palestinians killed in August strikes.^[20] Reporting on a strike at a funeral described deaths and injuries, while Israel said it had targeted a militant cell.^[21] Deadly strikes continued in October 2026, according to Palestinian medics and officials.^[22][23]

A new governing and reconstruction framework developed alongside those disputes. The UN Security Council endorsed Trump's plan in November 2025, authorising an international stabilisation force.^[24] In January, the White House announced committees for Gaza and a Trump-led Board of Peace, which Trump formally launched at Davos.^[25][26] Before its first February meeting, Trump said member states had pledged more than $5 billion for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts.^[27][28] In September, the board proposed a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery plan.^[29]

Disarmament remained tied to Israeli withdrawal. Trump announced an agreement on Hamas disarmament in July 2026.^[30] In August, Reuters described a dispute over sequencing: the US-backed plan envisaged Hamas laying down arms as Israel withdrew, while Israel insisted disarmament must be complete before withdrawal.^[6] Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other governments condemned Israel's rejection of the roadmap.^[31] Israeli strikes kept killing Palestinians into November, according to medics and Gaza health officials.^[32] Heavy rain flooded thousands of tents in early November, and a collapsing sand embankment killed a woman and three small children.^[33] Trump's Board of Peace called Israel's response "insufficient" and urged it to let essential aid in,^[34] while Netanyahu disputed claims that Israel was blocking winter supplies and blamed Hamas.^[35] Days later, an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza killed at least six people, including a doctor and a child, Palestinian officials said.^[36]