One year since Gaza ceasefire, Israelis mourn and Palestinians say war 'never ended'

October 10, 2026 marked exactly one year since the ceasefire ending the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza took effect under US President Donald Trump's peace plan. Israelis held nationwide memorials for the victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault, the first anniversary since the final hostage remains – those of Ran Gvili – were returned in January 2026. The last twenty living hostages were released on October 13, 2025. But Palestinians marked a bleak milestone: NPR, from inside Gaza, reported that for most residents the ceasefire has been a 'truce in name only.' There is still no international peacekeeping force, promised reconstruction has not started, and Israel's military has expanded its control to roughly 70% of the Strip, compressing more than two million Palestinians into a narrow coastal belt. Food, water and shelter remain scarce ahead of a second winter under the ruins. Diplomats warned that the political track behind the ceasefire – a transitional authority and Arab-led stabilization force – remains stalled.