Ceasefire Punctured; U.S. Seeks Gaza Stabilization Force

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began Oct. 10 has been punctured by continued Israeli strikes in Gaza and periodic attacks in Lebanon, which have killed at least 236 Palestinians since the truce (some reports put the toll at 239) and undermined confidence in the pause. The truce did enable hostage exchanges and created momentum toward a potential landmark deal, and U.S. officials have circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to establish an International Stabilization Force in Gaza for at least two years to secure borders, protect civilians and assist demilitarization. Israeli leaders insist any arrangement must include the full disarmament of Hamas, a nonnegotiable demand that partners such as India have signaled support for. Human-rights groups and some governments continue to accuse Israel of serious violations—Amnesty International has called the actions crimes against humanity, and South Africa has filed an ICJ case alleging genocide—while civilians face mounting hunger, displacement and an international silence critics say deepens their suffering. Aid groups such as Gift of the Givers say they could scale up deliveries dramatically if borders and other restrictions were lifted, but analysts warn that without an agreed political future for Gaza the arrangement risks becoming a long-term pattern of intermittent strikes rather than a durable peace.