Trump’s Gaza Plan One Year Later: 74,000+ Palestinians Killed as Ceasefire, Disarmament, and Reconstruction Unresolved
One year after Trump’s Gaza plan, over 74,000 Palestinians reportedly killed since October 2023. Though ceasefire reduced fighting, Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, Gaza governance and $71.4 billion in reconstruction remain unresolved.
Raja Awais Ali
10/6/20264 min read
Trump's Gaza Plan One Year Later: Ceasefire Has Reduced Fighting, But Major Peace Targets Remain Unmet
One year after U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan was implemented, the ceasefire has reduced the intensity of fighting but has not resolved the central political, security and humanitarian issues that have kept the conflict alive. The first phase of the plan has led to a ceasefire on October 10, 2025, along with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and a rise in humanitarian assistance. But key parts of the plan, including Hamas disarmament, a full Israeli military withdrawal, a new governance structure for Gaza and large-scale reconstruction, remain unaddressed. Reuters reported on October 6, 2026 that Israel maintains control of roughly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip and that military operations have continued despite the ceasefire.
The scale of the human cost is also a central factor. Prior to the October 2025 ceasefire, more than two years of war had already resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths. By the time of the ceasefire, Gaza authorities had reported more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths. Since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire announcement, Gaza's Ministry of Health has reportedly recorded another 1,431 Palestinian deaths and 5,026 injuries by the latest OCHA reporting period. The numbers include those killed in military incidents, those who later perished from their wounds and those whose bodies have been recovered from the rubble.
The latest numbers reported underline that the ceasefire has not signified an end to violence. Between September 23 and 30, 2026, Gaza's Ministry of Health has reported 29 Palestinians killed and 147 injured, bringing the post-ceasefire totals to the numbers cited. OCHA also reported that another 81 fatalities have been retroactively added after identity details were approved. The latest overall numbers of casualties therefore show the humanitarian cost has continued to rise even after the major phase of the war was formally placed under a ceasefire framework.
The military situation remains one of the biggest obstacles to the next stage of the plan. The initial arrangement envisaged Israeli forces withdrawing to a designated line, leaving Israel in control of roughly 53% of Gaza during the first phase. A year later, however, Israel remains in effective control of about two-thirds of the territory. This has concentrated much of Gaza's population within a smaller area, while access to large parts of the territory is restricted. OCHA reported that access restrictions impact about 65% of Gaza's land, while the remaining areas are heavily overcrowded.
Humanitarian conditions remain severe despite increased aid flows since the ceasefire. More than 1.2 million people in Gaza continue to be plagued with acute food insecurity, while humanitarian organisations warn that funding shortages will lead to reductions in food assistance. OCHA reported that food-security partners would see a significant drop in daily hot-meal production and household food-parcel distributions from October due to funding gaps. This means the ceasefire has improved access compared to the peak periods of the war but cannot eliminate the humanitarian crisis.
Water and sanitation remain significant problems. OCHA reported that production from two seawater desalination plants in southern Gaza had declined due to shortages of spare parts and equipment, impacting drinking-water supply for around 500,000 people in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Around 74% of Gaza's population currently rely on trucked drinking water. More than 279,000 people are also living in approximately 400 displacement sites at risk of flooding, while more than 2,300 unsafe buildings remain occupied. Combined, these groups constitute more than 13% of Gaza's population.
The next major challenge is Hamas's disarmament. Trump's plan envisaged the removal of heavy weapons and the establishment of a new security and political arrangement in Gaza. Hamas has expressed willingness to place its weapons under international or Palestinian oversight, but Israel continues to demand complete disarmament before agreeing to a comprehensive military withdrawal. This disagreement has become one of the main impediments to transitioning from the ceasefire's first phase to a longer-term political settlement.
The question of who will govern Gaza after the war remains unresolved. A proposed Palestinian technocratic administration has been discussed as part of the post-war framework, as an international stabilisation force. The force is intended to include international troops and Palestinian security personnel, but has not yet been assembled. Without agreement on security, weapons and political authority, the transition from military control to civilian administration is challenging.
Reconstruction presents another major challenge. A joint assessment by the United Nations, European Union and World Bank estimated that Gaza will require roughly $71.4 billion over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction. Of that amount, approximately $26.3 billion to be required during the first 18 months to repair essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery. The assessment estimated physical infrastructure damage at $35.2 billion and economic and social losses at another $22.7 billion.
Housing has suffered the largest share of the physical destruction, with approximately $18 billion in housing damage. More than 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, while more than half of Gaza's hospitals are non-functional and nearly all schools have been damaged or destroyed. The assessment also estimated that around 1.9 million people have been internally displaced, many of them multiple times, and that more than 60% of Gaza's population has lost its home.
The reconstruction challenge is therefore much larger than simply repairing the damage to buildings. Roads, hospitals, schools, water systems, sanitation networks, electricity infrastructure, housing and economic activity all require substantial investment. The United Nations and its partners have also warned that rubble clearance and unexploded ordnance removal are necessary before many areas can be rebuilt. The scale of the damage means reconstruction will rely on long-term international.
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