By, A Friend Living in Palestine, November 16, 2025

The recent period of the war on Gaza, marked by the ostensible ceasefire of October 2025, has unfolded as yet another chapter in the devastation of the Palestinian enclave. Satellite analysis, humanitarian reports, and international observations paint a sobering picture of destruction, displacement, and a peace process mired in contradictions and unmet promises. This article explores the vast landscape of destruction and humanitarian crisis, the shifting military policies since the ceasefire, and the political and logistical failures undermining any prospects for lasting peace.

Destruction on an Unprecedented Scale

Satellite imagery obtained and reviewed post-ceasefire reveals that more than 1,500 buildings have been destroyed in Gaza in the two days following the supposed implementation of the truce. Many of these buildings were in areas designated as under Israeli control since the 10 October ceasefire, with further destruction extending to neighborhoods whose status on the Yellow Line boundary an artificial demarcation set by the IOF as part of the withdrawal agreement is in constant dispute. Some neighborhoods, like eastern Khan Younis and Abasan al-Kabira, were razed despite showing no signs of previous damage, with homes, gardens, and orchards flattened overnight. (See reporting on Israel has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in Gaza since ceasefire.)

Residents who had lived in these now-leveled zones recount listening from tents to ongoing demolitions for many, their lost homes were havens now reduced to fields of rubble. The systematic leveling of neighborhoods such as al-Bayuk, Shejaiya, and Jabalia near the Indonesian hospital underscores how millions of Gazans remain exposed to trauma long after the supposed cessation of active hostilities. Visual documentation and on-the-ground reporting of continued demolitions contradict the framing of a stable ceasefire.

Footage and geolocated videos demonstrate that the IOF continues practices of controlled demolitions using excavators and explosives, often in civilian residential areas ostensibly protected by the ceasefire framework a pattern highlighted by journalists and field investigators documenting the post-truce ground operations.

Ceasefire Violations and Legal Controversy

Though some Israeli officials and analysts contend the terms of the ceasefire apply only beyond the Yellow Line or that operations are merely defensive, legal scholars and humanitarians argue the scale of destruction is not consistent with proportionality and necessity under international humanitarian law. Statistics from independent humanitarian monitors and UN agencies document ongoing fatalities and injuries since the truce began, and reports cite hundreds of incidents and violations recorded after the announced cessation. For consolidated operational and humanitarian incident data, see the UN OCHA Gaza Humanitarian Response situation report. OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territory

As humanitarian monitors show, at least several hundred Palestinians were killed and many more wounded post-ceasefire, with multiple field reports documenting demolitions and targeted operations continuing across large swathes of the Strip. UN coordination reporting provides situational breakdowns of displacement, casualties, and service disruptions.

The Humanitarian Catastrophe

Israel has routinely restricted access to essential medical and humanitarian consignments, according to UN and aid coordination updates. Displaced families in the Gaza Strip are enduring harsh winter conditions under severely dilapidated tents as a three-day storm, which began on November 14, batters the region. Torrential rains have soaked hundreds of thousands who lack electricity, heating, and clean water, forcing them to face freezing nights with nowhere safe or dry to shelter. The situation worsens as the Israeli government continues to prevent adequate humanitarian aid, such as tents, building materials, fuel, medicine, and clean water, from entering Gaza.

Nearly two million displaced Palestinians are struggling to survive in these dire conditions, highlighting the urgent need for immediate and unrestricted delivery of aid to protect lives and support recovery efforts. UNICEF and OCHA assessments detail shortages of vaccines, syringes, infant formula, insulin and other critical supplies, with thousands of patients unable to access urgent care and many hospitals operating at a fraction of their capacity. The UN OCHA Situation Report No. 19 contains the most recent tabulations of operational hospitals, patient flows, and details on cross-line medical evacuations and denials. OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territory

Medical evacuations, while increasing slightly post-ceasefire, still fall far short of the estimated numbers who require specialized care outside Gaza. The OCHA report lists figures for patients evacuated and documents obstacles to evacuations and imports of medical supplies. Food security, water access, and shelter remain precarious: UN and WFP partner reports on bakery operations and food parcel distributions are summarized in the OCHA response reporting. OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territory

Social, Psychological, and Protection Challenges

The collapse of education, healthcare, and social systems compounds the psychological trauma, especially for children. Humanitarian reporting documents psychosocial outreach numbers (children and caregivers reached) and rising protection risks, especially for girls, children with disabilities, and unaccompanied minors. OCHA and other UN agency situation briefs detail the scale of mental-health outreach, case management challenges, and incidents involving unexploded ordnance that disproportionately endanger civilians returning to damaged areas. OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Political Quagmire and Failing Peace Initiative

Underlying the destruction and humanitarian tragedy is the failure of the current peace initiative. The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Monday 11/17/2025 on a US-backed plan to authorise an international military force in Gaza, even as Russia, China and several Arab states push back against the proposal. Initially framed around President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, the ceasefire and its terms have proven largely unenforceable in practice. Reporting on US military planning and leaked or circulated planning documents describes an operational concept to divide Gaza into a “green zone” (where reconstruction and international/Israeli security would be concentrated) and a “red zone” to be left largely in ruins, a partitioning strategy that has drawn strong concern from humanitarian organisations and regional policymakers. See The Guardian’s detailed reporting on US military planning for Gaza and the proposed “green zone.” The Guardian

Internal diplomatic documents and reporting (including investigative pieces and commentary) suggest the US plan is encountering diplomatic and operational pushback and that private memos circulated among officials admit significant gaps in tactical clarity, troop commitments, and governance arrangements for a post-conflict Gaza. (Political reporting and investigative coverage that critique the viability of the plan are available in multiple outlets; one such commentary with critical perspective appears at Israel Palestine News.) Israel Palestine News

The deeper risk is the de facto partition of Gaza. Nearly all of Gaza’s residents are now displaced; the Israeli military controls large portions of territory, while Palestinian self-rule remains sidelined in favor of an ambiguous international stabilisation initiative. Offers of troops from countries such as Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey (and reluctance from some states) are discussed in mainstream reporting on the proposed International Stabilisation Force; those reporting threads are detailed in The Guardian’s article. The Guardian

Obstacles to Recovery and Reconstruction

Even where reconstruction is discussed, practical progress is stymied by aid bottlenecks, unclear legal mandates for stabilization forces, and unresolved governance questions. UN OCHA and related agency reporting document the funding gap against humanitarian appeals and list concrete impediments to delivering and distributing materials needed for reconstruction, including denials at crossings and bureaucratic preconditions. As of mid-November 2025, UN coordination figures show significant deficits in the funding required to meet declared needs. OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territory

Conclusion: The Future of Gaza in the Shadow of Demolition

As reporting from frontline journalists, UN agencies, and investigators indicates, the Gaza Strip remains deeply fragile and fractured. The magnitude of devastation and displacement is the product of active hostilities, restricted aid access, and political designs that risk institutionalizing fragmentation rather than restoring civilian life and governance. The path forward requires enforceable guarantees for civilian protection, unimpeded humanitarian access, and political frameworks that respect Gazans’ rights and dignity not merely rhetorical commitments or territorial partition by design. For in-depth coverage of the US military’s planning and the critique of the partitioning model, see The Guardian’s feature. The Guardian