The 1,000th day of war since a Hamas-led attack on Israel sparked the conflict in Gaza has seen other regional conflicts emerge and fragile ceasefires marred by persistent attacks. Both Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing strain from the situation.
The future for over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza remains uncertain, as many are displaced and living among ruins. Israeli forces controlled more than half of the territory under the ceasefire that began on October 10, but Israel's government has since expanded this control, stating an aim to hold 70%.
Movement in and out of the area is restricted. Further steps toward a ceasefire, including Hamas disarmament and the extensive reconstruction effort, have stalled.
"Much more needs to be done so that even a semblance of normality can come back, and we are far, far away from this," stated Nicolas von Arx, regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross, this week.
This article examines events over the past 1,000 days and potential future developments.
### Palestinians Continue to Die
Although Israeli strikes have decreased since the ceasefire took effect, they continue nearly daily.
As of Tuesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 1,053 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire, including more than 350 women and children. Recent fatalities included a teenage girl traveling to school and a mother with her one-year-old daughter.
Following another deadly strike this week, one Palestinian, Wisal Abu Khater, criticized the situation, asking, "Where is this ceasefire they keep talking about?! Shame on them," and directed criticism at Arabs she claimed had failed Gaza’s people while watching World Cup games.
The United Nations warned on Wednesday that Israel's expansion in Gaza increases deadly risks for civilians in areas lacking clear ground demarcation.
The Health Ministry reported over 3,400 injuries since the ceasefire. This ministry is part of the Hamas-led government and maintains casualty records generally considered reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. While it does not differentiate between civilians and militants, it states that women and children account for roughly half of the dead.
Israel's military asserts that its targets are Hamas and other militants, often claiming these groups were planning attacks, and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. All hostages or their remains have been released or handed over, with some recounting abuses. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that Israel's retaliation has caused a total of 73,066 Palestinian deaths as of Tuesday.
### Progress Stalls for Trump-Created Board of Peace
Nickolay Mladenov, the top diplomat overseeing the ceasefire, indicated that implementing the U.S.-brokered deal is stalled due to the difficult issue of Hamas disarming.
This has been a significant test for the Board of Peace established and led by U.S. President Donald Trump. Launched earlier this year with international pledges totaling billions of dollars specifically for Gaza’s recovery from war, the board now offers little public commentary.
Hamas disarmament would facilitate other measures, including a new administration in Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force to aid security and reconstruction. Although Hamas has not outright rejected disarming, it has indicated a desire to retain some weaponry and demanded further concessions from Israel.
### Divided Israel Faces Election Challenges
Over the past 1,000 days, Israelis have been affected by trauma stemming from the October 7 attack—the deadliest in Israeli history—and subsequent conflicts: engagements with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Iran itself.
Iran's armed proxies attacked Israel, stating their actions were in solidarity with Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump to jointly attack Iran on February 28, an action that revived the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have advanced to their deepest point in over a quarter-century.
None of these fronts have completely calmed down.
These conflicts and their consequences—including rising deaths among Israeli soldiers, ongoing attacks along Israel’s Lebanese border, and international allegations of genocide in Gaza, which Israel rejects—are impacting the national mood as Netanyahu seeks re-election this fall.
Netanyahu projects confidence but faces a difficult challenge. A poll by The Israel Democracy Institute released last month showed that over 60% of Israelis believe he should not run again. Public anger has been high regarding security failures preceding October 7, the absence of a state commission of inquiry to investigate them, and unpopular exemptions from military service granted to Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox governing partners.
### Humanitarian Aid Faces Obstacles in Rubble-Stricken Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza report reaching their limit. They continue to live amid the sound of Israeli drones and the daily threat of strikes, sheltering either in large tent camps with minimal or no utilities, or within bombed-out structures.
The ceasefire was intended to facilitate an influx of humanitarian aid such as medicine and fuel, but aid groups state this has not materialized. All of Gaza’s border crossings remain tightly controlled, and have occasionally closed entirely. The U.N. reported last month that 17 hospitals are still non-functional.
Last month, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher noted that "cumbersome" Israeli approvals and customs procedures restrict vital supplies, adding that even prosthetic limbs have been affected by concerns over potential dual use as weapons.
Famine was declared in Gaza City last August; however, food security experts later reported "notable improvements" following the ceasefire. COGAT, the Israeli military body coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza, stated on Wednesday that "the quantities of food that are being brought in far exceed the nutritional needs of the Gazan civilian population."
With Israeli forces expanding across Gaza and Hamas militants accused of illegally executing Palestinians for alleged collaboration with Israel or crimes like looting, residents report feeling stressed and exhausted.
Mahmoud Ashour, a 33-year-old shop owner in Khan Younis, said, "We had everything before the war. And now we’re just craving a bite to eat."