On the devastated outskirts of Shejaiya in Gaza City, where kilometers of concrete rubble and twisted steel separate Gaza from Israel, the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement shows signs of unraveling amid daily military incursions that test its fragile foundations.
Ceasefire in Name Only
The National Post gained rare Israeli-led access to Gaza following last month's U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, witnessing firsthand the extensive destruction and ongoing tensions that characterize what many describe as reduced fighting rather than genuine peace. The situation on the ground reveals a conflict that has merely changed intensity rather than ceased entirely.
While major military operations have concluded, ammunition exchanges continue regularly, and threats persist from both sides. The atmosphere among Israeli forces stationed in the region is marked by reservation and pessimism regarding the long-term viability of the current arrangement.
Violations and Accusations
The implementation of the ceasefire remains precarious, with both Israel and Hamas trading accusations of agreement violations. According to a November 1 report from London-based Middle East Eye, Hamas claims it has fully complied with the deal while accusing Israel of reducing humanitarian aid and fuel supplies, along with unjustified killings.
However, Israeli Defense Forces present a different picture. Hamas has killed three Israeli soldiers since the ceasefire began, according to IDF international spokesman Lt. Col Nadav Shoshani, who spoke with the National Post in Shejaiya. The terrorist organization, designated as such in both Canada and the United States, has consistently broken the agreement's terms, according to military officials.
Broken Promises and Hostage Concerns
Under the ceasefire terms, Hamas committed to returning all hostages and remaining behind the Yellow Line that demarcates the separation between the two sides' deployment areas. However, three hostage bodies remain unaccounted for, and the IDF reports that Hamas has repeatedly crossed the Yellow Line under the pretext of searching for hostages while actually conducting terror activities.
Their only mission allowed when they cross the Yellow Line is to look for hostages, said Shoshani. We've seen them cross, armed, and use this as an opportunity to hide explosives. We went to a spot, a house on our side of the Yellow Line – it was filled with explosives, fighting ammunition, that they placed in the guise of searching in the area.
The violations occur daily, according to Israeli forces, who describe them as attempts to test the agreement's limits. Hamas failed to return all hostages within the agreed 72-hour deadline, which passed over a month ago. They've failed to disarm. On the contrary, they've tried to rearm, Shoshani stated. They have made multiple attacks against our troops.
In one particularly disturbing incident, Hamas operatives staged the discovery of an Israeli hostage's body in Gaza. They threw a body from a window, covered it, and pretended to find it, the IDF spokesman revealed, illustrating what Israeli forces characterize as ongoing deception and bad faith from the terrorist organization.
The situation in Shejaiya and surrounding areas demonstrates that while international mediators, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, portrayed the agreement as a historic step toward peace, the reality on the ground suggests a much more complicated and tenuous peace process that could collapse at any moment.
