In Gaza City, where broken buildings stand like silent scars, a mother holds a crumpled photo of her son, a hostage for nearly two years. “He’s coming home,” she whispers, her voice trembling with hope. It’s 13 October 2025, and after the horrors of 7 October 2023, those words carry real weight. The Gaza ceasefire, a hard-fought deal to pause a war that’s killed over 67,600 Palestinians and displaced 1.9 million, is not a perfect fix. It’s a careful plan, born from ruins, where every freed hostage is a step towards peace. As the first seven Israeli captives walk into the arms of the Red Cross, the world wonders: can this fragile truce last?
Beyond wishful thinking, it’s the result of tough talks, led by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s bold “Peace Plan” announced days ago. From dusty rooms in Doha to Jerusalem’s tense halls, negotiators built a deal to stop the fighting, free hostages, and let aid trucks roll in with food and hope. As families on both sides wait anxiously, the question hangs heavy: can this ceasefire, delicate as a child’s first steps, grow into something stronger?
How the Fighting Stopped
On 9 October 2025, Trump shared his plan on Truth Social, praising mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for bringing both sides together. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed the next day after a long, late-night meeting. “A big day for Israel,” he said, his voice mixing pride and caution, thanking Trump for his push.
Hamas, the group behind the brutal 7 October 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, didn’t agree easily. They thanked Trump for trying to “end the war completely” but demanded Israel stick to the deal. What made it work? Promises and pressure. For Israel, getting back 48 hostages—20 alive, the rest of their bodies, was worth freeing Palestinian prisoners. For Hamas, it meant stopping Israel’s bombs, which turned Gaza into a maze of rubble, and letting in aid to fight hunger.
The ceasefire began at noon on 10 October 2025. Israeli troops pulled back from half of Gaza’s 365 square kilometres within 24 hours. No more bombs shatter the night; no more rockets fly over the border. It’s not peace yet, Israel keeps a buffer zone, and Hamas holds its weapons, but in Rafah’s markets, where people sell wilted vegetables, there’s a flicker of normal life. “The sky feels lighter,” one shopkeeper said, his voice soft as if scared to jinx it.
World Leader Speaks
As the first hostages sip water in hospital rooms, world leaders share their thoughts—a mix of hope and caution. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a “vital breakthrough,” pushing for all hostages to be freed respectfully and a lasting ceasefire to end the pain. He promised UN help with aid and rebuilding, aiming for a “two-state solution” where Palestinians govern themselves.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised Trump’s “will” and vowed to ensure the deal is followed, hoping for a free Palestine based on 1967 borders. France’s Emmanuel Macron called for a “political answer,” ready to talk in Paris. Britain’s Keir Starmer demanded “no barriers to life-saving aid.” Saudi Arabia, cautious about Hamas, urged quick action to ease suffering and build a Palestinian state.
Not everyone agrees. Iran supports ending the “genocide” but distrusts Israel. Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas sees this as a step to a “two-state solution,” insisting Gaza belongs to Palestinians. Australia’s Anthony Albanese called it a “ray of hope” after “80 years of conflict.” Trump, landing in Tel Aviv today, told reporters: “The war is over… the Middle East will normalize.” Bold words, but in Gaza’s tent camps, where kids play near unexploded bombs, they’re just a spark of hope.
A New Start Amid the Rubble
Today, Gaza hums with new sounds. Aid trucks roll through checkpoints, carrying not just food but possibilities, water pipes for dry wells, ovens for fresh bread. The Rafah crossing, once a bottleneck of misery, now sees Gazans heading to Egypt for medical care, with promises they can return. Roads linking Gaza’s north and south are open again, stitching the region together.
The human side shines brightest. Picture an Israeli father pacing a hospital corridor, waiting for news of his kidnapped daughter. Or a Gazan grandmother, searching rubble for a lost keepsake as trucks pass by. This ceasefire turns news into real lives, parents’ prayers cutting through years of hate.
The future is shaky. Rebuilding Gaza’s $50 billion damage needs more than hope; it needs money and effort. Phase Two and beyond must tackle tough issues like weapons and who runs Gaza. But today, as Trump speaks to Israel’s parliament and leaders meet in Cairo, one thing is clear: peace isn’t handed out at meetings. It’s fought for, step by step, in the ashes of war.
In Gaza, where the sun rises over the sea, this ceasefire is a small seed in broken soil. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. May these first steps lead to a future where olive trees outgrow the thorns, and families like that mother’s can finally breathe.
