The Gaza War and After
Part 12 of the series “The Palestine Question” · Beyond the book (2)

The Gaza War
and After

Between 2023 and 2026: two years of the longest and most destructive war in the conflict’s history, then a “truce” that did not stop the killing. Along the way: the International Court of Justice, arrest warrants, a declared famine, international recognition of Palestine, and wars stretching from Lebanon to Iran.

For high-school & university students5 themes · 40-minute readUpdated to October 2026

Timeline (2023–2026) · tap any point

Earliest on the left.

One

The War on Gaza: Its Stages

Israel declared two aims: destroy Hamas and bring back the captives. Two years on, the first was not achieved, and most captives came back through negotiation.

From bombardment to truceChoose a stage

Two

The Human Cost

Figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which the UN relies on, as of mid-October 2026.

74,382Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children (13 October 2026)
175,000+injured, with thousands missing under the rubble
466deaths from starvation and malnutrition, many of them children
About 90%of the population displaced at least once, and about 78% of buildings damaged (UN)

Gaza and the West BankChoose

Three

The World and International Law

For the first time Israel stood before the International Court of Justice accused of genocide, and its prime minister became wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Meanwhile, the United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court’s judges and officials to shield the occupation from accountability. The final judgment in South Africa’s case has not yet been issued.

Peoples on the move

Four

Other Fronts and Leaders Killed

The war did not stay in Gaza: Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Iran, then a wide regional war in 2026.

Assassinated leadersTap for details

The circles of war widenChoose a front

Five

Trump’s Plan and the “Truce” to Date

A ceasefire since 10 October 2025, which more than a hundred organizations said a year later exists “in name only.”

How did the plan develop?Drag the slider

One year into the truce (October 2026)

1,493Palestinians killed in Gaza since the truce began, and 5,299 injured
About two-thirdsof the Strip under Israeli control behind an advancing “Yellow Line”
One thirdof the agreed aid trucks entering; no international force deployed

The West Bank and Jerusalem: “silent annexation”

Between 2023 and the end of 2025, 1,244 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including 268 children, and about 46,000 were displaced from camps and communities, according to UN data. Settler attacks rose to more than 540 in the first quarter of 2026 alone, and international rights groups speak of the “ethnic cleansing” of Bedouin and rural communities. In April 2026 the Knesset passed a death-penalty law aimed at Palestinian prisoners; the Palestinian Authority postponed legislative elections; and Israeli elections are set for 27 October 2026.

The author’s criteria for after the warFrom The Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood (2024)

Reject international tutelage and solutions imposed on the Palestinian people from outside.
End the Western cover that shields the occupation from accountability.
Prevent displacement in all its forms.
Open the crossings, lift the blockade and rebuild.
Compare these criteria with what is actually happening with the “Board of Peace” and the “Yellow Line”: which are being met, and which are stalling?

For group discussion

  1. Why is South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice historic even before a final judgment?
  2. Major Western states recognized Palestine in 2025 while the war continued. Is recognition a real step or a symbolic one? Discuss both views.
  3. What makes a “truce” a real truce? Set three criteria and apply them to Gaza today.
Wrap-up

Test Yourself

12 questions on the Gaza war and its aftermath up to October 2026.