Under the agreement, all living Israeli hostages were returned and exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces withdrew from roughly 45% of Gaza. Humanitarian aid, long blocked or severely restricted, began to move in again.

For Gaza’s two million residents, the ceasefire has brought moments of relief – but also a lingering sense that the calm could shatter at any moment.

Rami Al Mughari, a journalist from Al Meghazi camp in central Gaza, who has covered the conflict since its earliest days, says daily life has changed in noticeable but uneven ways.

“Access to water has become easier,” he said. “Of course it depends on where you are based in the Gaza Strip but since the ceasefire came into effect, we started feeling that water is less of an issue now.”

Food availability has also improved. Markets that once stood nearly empty during the height of the war now carry more goods, and families are better able to put food on the table. Still, prices remain high, and many households continue to rely heavily on assistance from international organizations.

Movement within Gaza has become easier as well. Palestinians can now travel between different parts of the enclave, something that was often impossible during the fighting. But these journeys are frequently slowed by roads destroyed by Israeli bombardment, piles of rubble, and harsh weather conditions.

Electricity has partially returned, mainly through private suppliers, allowing families to power lights and appliances for limited periods. Yet, access remains unequal and for many households the cost makes regular use impossible, reinforcing the sense that even basic services remain fragile and out of reach.

No light at the end of the tunnel?

Despite these improvements, the ceasefire has not brought a true sense of safety.

The intensity of Israeli bombardment has dropped significantly compared with the peak of the war. Large-scale attacks have largely stopped, replaced by smaller, more targeted Israeli military operations carried out intermittently.

But airstrikes still occur abruptly. Israel often says these attacks target Hamas operatives, other armed groups, or individuals approaching the so-called buffer or “yellow” line. Regardless of the stated justification, the impact on civilians has been severe. More than 440 Palestinians have been killed during Israeli military actions since the ceasefire began.

“Because of this reality, people do not feel truly safe. Safety is fragile and unpredictable. Palestinians can be harmed at any time: on the streets, in alleys, or inside residential areas. The ceasefire has reduced violence, but it has not eliminated fear or insecurity.”

Humanitarian organizations working in Gaza say this ongoing instability compounds the enormous damage already inflicted by the war.

Pat Griffiths, the spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem, says the consequences of prolonged violence will shape life in Gaza for years.

“The impact of two years of devastating violence are going to reverberate for years in Gaza. Even now, people can still queue for food, walk long distances for clean water. People living with disability or chronic health conditions struggle to access the care they need – just as those requiring emergency treatment or surgery still do. Schools and universities have been damaged or destroyed, and it’s incredibly difficult for people to return to study while basic needs like access to adequate electricity, shelter, water or employment need to be addressed. All those needs remain in Gaza right now”.

After 27 months of active hostilities, virtually all of Gaza’s critical infrastructure has been affected. 66% of all structures have sustained damage. Power stations, water and sanitation networks, hospitals, clinics, roads, and schools have been fully or partially destroyed.

There has been neither enough time nor sufficient access to begin long-term reconstruction. Heavy machinery, building materials, and technical expertise remain limited or blocked, leaving most rebuilding efforts stalled.

This infrastructure is essential not only for economic recovery, but for basic human survival – supplying electricity, safe drinking water, sanitation services, and functioning medical care. Without it, humanitarian aid can only provide temporary relief.

Medical access remains one of Gaza’s most urgent crises. Hospitals are overwhelmed, understaffed, and undersupplied. Patients with chronic illnesses, including thousands with cancer, face enormous obstacles in receiving treatment.

Leaving Gaza for medical care remains extremely difficult. Although there have been announcements and reports that the Rafah crossing with Egypt could reopen during the second phase of the ceasefire, nothing tangible has yet been done.

“The continued closure has devastating consequences,” says Al Mughari. “Patients in need of specialized care remain trapped. Students accepted to universities abroad cannot leave. Families separated by the war remain divided, with no clear timeline for reunification.”

Al Mughari describes a cycle of hope and disappointment that has come to define life since the ceasefire.

“I personally hoped that 2026 would bring real change. Unfortunately, since the ceasefire announcement and the start of the new year, nothing meaningful has happened. The promised improvements have not materialized.”

He says lasting recovery depends on sustained international pressure – not just statements of support.

“Real recovery will only be possible if international actors, especially those who mediated the ceasefire, ensure that the agreement moves forward, that Israel does not obstruct the second phase, and that Palestinians receive genuine support.”

He lists priorities that remain unmet: beginning large-scale reconstruction, providing proper shelter for displaced families, rebuilding the health system, ensuring continuous food supplies, and allowing freedom of movement through Rafah.

“Without these steps,” Al Mughari said, “the ceasefire remains incomplete, fragile, and insufficient to restore dignity or stability to life in Gaza.”

Aid organizations say they are capable of doing far more – if restrictions were lifted.

“We have the capacity to do more to help Palestinians in Gaza, we just need the means to do more,” Griffiths said. “Restrictions on the amount of assistance that are allowed to reach people there make it incredibly difficult to address urgent and large-scale needs – like shelter.”

He added that limits on aid also prevent people from accessing essential services such as electricity, water, health care, and education.

“That’s why we continue to advocate and call for full and unimpeded access for assistance into Gaza.”

Even where aid is delivered, it remains temporary by design.

“Humanitarian organizations are responding to the best of their current capacity, given the security situation, but these are always designed as temporary solutions,” Griffiths said. “There are not enough materials, heavy machinery, or equipment to meet the needs of the population, or to have adequate planning or construction for permanent solutions.”

“We call for the full and unimpeded access of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. There are too many lives at stake for anything less.”

Taking matters into own hands

Still, amid the devastation, Al Mughari says Palestinians are not waiting passively for help.

“What gives me hope is that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, began their own recovering process, without waiting for the international community of players to come in to intervene.”

Across Gaza, small restaurants have reopened. Universities, including the Islamic University and other local institutions, have resumed limited educational activities. Community groups are clearing rubble, repairing buildings, and restoring services with whatever resources they can find.

“Palestinians are trying to cope with the situation,” Al Mughari said, “which gives all of us some kind of a hope that things might get better soon”.

More than 100 days after the ceasefire, Gaza exists in a fragile in-between state – no longer engulfed in a full-scale war, but far from peace. The quiet offers a chance, but without decisive political movement and genuine reconstruction, it may remain only a pause in a much longer struggle.