After several decades of the Israel and Palestinian war, The United States and Israel arranged a 20 point peace plan, effective October 10th 2025, between Israel and Hamas that aims to address and minimize the ongoing Gaza war, yet Gazans report explosions, gunfire, airstrikes and tank shelling.
Over a tense period of accusation and counter-accusation, Israel’s army has shot at unarmed Palestinians and bombed Gaza on more than one occasion.
According to CNN News, the latest was on October 18th, when it claimed Hamas fighters had attacked its soldiers in the Rafah area, which Israel controls. Israel has violated the deal 80 times, the Government Media Office in Gaza says, killing at least 97 Palestinians.
Palestinian neighborhoods have also become unrecognizable as Israeli bombs terrorize residents. On October 17th, the Israeli military fired on a civilian vehicle, killing 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family in the Zeitoun neighbourhood. There were seven children and three women in the car, it later came out that the family was trying to reach their home.
On Sunday October 19th, Israel killed dozens in Gaza in air raids and attacks.
On October 20th, after Israel said it would abide by the deal again, it killed several Palestinians in northern Gaza’s Shujayea neighbourhood, alleging they “posed a threat” to Israeli soldiers after they crossed the unmarked “yellow line” behind which Israel’s army had pulled back.
Israel also imposed restrictions on aid, keeping the Rafah crossing closed and telling the UN on Tuesday that it would only allow 300 aid trucks, only half of the number in the deal. Food and resources also remain fatally scarce in the issue as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid.
Due to the massive destruction that occurred, the population of Gaza depends heavily on food aid delivered by aid trucks, a big component of the peace plan. The trucks give hundreds access to clean food and water, helping avoid famine-like conditions. Despite the agreement focusing on increasing the amount of aid trucks that enter the Gaza Strip, citizens report issues such as damaged roads, delays at border crossings and security risks that often leave the citizens without food.
In addition, an “invisible yellow line”, which covers 53% of the Gaza strip, leaves Palestinians at risk of being shot and killed if they even go near it. The yellow line was installed by Israel Defense Forces, leaving a yellow concrete marker every 200 meters, marking the line that Israeli forces withdrew to in agreement with the peace plan.
According to the Israel Defense Force, it was made with the intention of “reducing friction” and improving security coordination amidst the ongoing tensions, however it only led to more damage than good according to locals.
“In our area, the yellow lines aren’t clearly visible. We don’t know where they start or end. I think they’re clearer in other places, but here, nothing is defined,”
Mohammad Khaled Abu al-Hussain, a 31-year-old father of five, mentioned.
His family’s house is in al-Qarara, just North of Khan Younis and east of the yellow line, within the IDF-controlled zone.
The Israeli government did not pledge to fully pull its forces out of Gaza, saying it may keep a neutral zone until there is no “resurgent terror threat”.
Written by Azul Zatarain, staff writer