GAZA — Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the terms of a two-phase ceasefire agreement signed on October 11, 2025, following two years of bombardment and siege in Gaza. The agreement stipulated the eventual withdrawal of Israeli soldiers, the complete disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international force, and the establishment of a new Palestinian governing body. Neither the proposed international force nor a timeline for a committee of Palestinian technocrats to assume governance has materialized. Israel has expanded its occupation of Gaza beyond the 'yellow line' and continued attacks on Hamas members, while Hamas has reorganized, refused to surrender its weapons, and expanded its control within the enclave.

Since the ceasefire agreement, at least 1,059 people have died and 3,429 have been injured in Gaza from Israeli attacks as of June 21, 2026, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. An independent UN commission concluded in June that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians by deliberately attacking children in Gaza. Israel rejected this accusation, calling it 'a political blood libel disguised as a UN document.'

More than 1.9 million people, nearly the entire population of Gaza, have been displaced. The UN warned in late May that rashes and other ectoparasitic infections are spreading in improvised, unventilated tents, affecting more than 80% of all displacement areas. Rats, cockroaches, and weasels are tearing tent tarps and biting sleeping children and newborns in these areas. Sally Saleh, Head of Emergencies in Gaza for Medical Aid for Palestinians, said, "There is no real ceasefire here. You can be bombed at any time and in any place. In some cases, they are attacking people directly." Saleh added, "We have spoken to parents whose children have been bitten by rats, who are terrified that it will happen again."

Residents have resorted to digging pit latrines due to low supplies of portable toilets, leading to soil and water contamination. Rats are scavenging through aid packages, forcing people to discard scarce reserves of rice or flour. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he ordered the Israel Defense Forces to take control of 70% of the Gaza enclave. Attacks and shootings in densely populated areas have intensified, and the continued expansion of territory occupied by the Israeli military in Gaza has caused new displacements.

COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for facilitating aid distribution in Gaza, stated in June 2026 that it has coordinated the entry of approximately 600 trucks daily since last October, adding, "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is stable, supported by a continuous and steady flow of aid." Human rights agencies, however, cite Israeli restrictions on the entry of electric generators and spare parts as insufficient to meet needs, forcing some agencies to reduce operations, including water deliveries. These agencies also cite the death of aid workers in attacks as a factor limiting aid distribution. Nikolay Mladenov, a former UN official, said, "Gaza faces a dangerous status quo."

Piles of solid waste and pools of wastewater are deteriorating the environment in Gaza. Approximately 25 million tons of debris have accumulated in Gaza City alone. Israeli campaigns have left desalination plants, wastewater treatment systems, and sewage management systems inoperative or inaccessible. The Israeli government announced last month that it was launching a 'large-scale pest control campaign' along with the UN in several locations.