Gaza peace doubts deepen as world attention shifts to the Israel-Iran conflict, leaving Palestinians in the war-torn territory struggling with shortages and rising prices, according to the BBC. Six months after a fragile ceasefire came into force, the situation on the ground remains dire, with merchants reporting disrupted supplies from Israel and shoppers like Hassan Faqawi expressing frustration over the rising cost of living. ‘What does the war between Iran and Israel have to do with us? Prices have doubled here. ‘ he said, highlighting the growing disconnect between international focus and local realities.

Uncertainty Over Peace Plan

While global attention has turned to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, uncertainty lingers over the future of the Gaza ceasefire and the Trump peace plan, which halted the fighting in October last year. At the UN Security Council. Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace, outlined a detailed plan for Palestinian armed groups to decommission their weapons, linking compliance to the start of reconstruction. However, a Palestinian official close to Hamas suggested the group would likely reject the proposals, raising fears of a return to full-scale military conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Hamas that it must disarm ‘either the easy way or the hard way,’ signaling a potential escalation if the disarmament process stalls. Meanwhile, the Trump peace plan pledged the immediate resumption of ‘full aid’ to Gaza, including the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure such as water, sewage, and electricity. However, humanitarian agencies argue that much more needs to be done, particularly in the areas of debris removal and the entry of reconstruction materials, which Israel has blocked on the grounds that they could be used to build tunnels and weaponry.

Humanitarian Crisis Lingers

Heavy rains in recent weeks have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, causing sewage systems to overflow in crowded tent camps. According to Oxfam’s Policy Lead in Ramallah, Bushra Khalidi, progress towards recovery is limited and almost nonexistent. ‘We’re not seeing large-scale debris removal, we’re not seeing proper rehabilitation of underground infrastructure, and there’s still nowhere near enough fuel to run power systems,’ she said. ‘This is basic survival in Gaza.’

Cogat, the Israeli military body responsible for managing the crossings, has denied that there are aid shortages and accused Hamas of exploiting resources. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli air strikes in Gaza have continued, with dozens of Palestinians, including children, killed since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February. Israel claims it is targeting Hamas, with military commanders and police officers among the dead.

While Hamas publicly welcomed the creation of a new 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee—an apolitical body to temporarily run Gaza—and pledged to hand over governance, there are signs that the group is reasserting its authority. Sources told the BBC that Hamas has restructured its Interior Ministry, appointing new police directors, setting up temporary headquarters and detention facilities, and deploying new security patrols. Witnesses say masked men in military-style uniforms have set up dozens of checkpoints, stopping and searching vehicles and passers-by after 9 p.m.

Economic Strain and Frustration

Traders and shopkeepers in Gaza report that Hamas has imposed heavy taxes on goods and services, pushing prices even higher. Displaced residents like Hanaa express frustration with the situation, saying, ‘Unfortunately, no-one is controlling Gaza right now except Hamas. We pray to God that peace will be imposed, and that the national committee will come and control Gaza.’

A senior official in the National Committee for Gaza Administration, which reports to Trump’s Board of Peace, told the BBC that there is no date yet for a return to Gaza. Meanwhile, Mladenov laid out a ‘thorough framework’ for the decommissioning of Palestinian armed groups’ weapons, starting with ‘the most dangerous weapons, rockets, heavy munitions, explosive devices and assault rifles.’

‘The laying down of arms by militant actors would represent a decisive break from cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades,’ Mladenov said. ‘For the people of Gaza, the implications are profound: Israeli military withdrawal and reconstruction at scale.’

According to a Palestinian source close to Hamas, the group has received proposals to disarm in exchange for a phased pullout of Israeli troops over six to nine months. The source expects Hamas to reject the plan. Hamas leader Bassem Naim criticized Mladenov’s approach, suggesting the new proposals contradict the October 2025 Sharm el-Sheikh agreement and UN Security Council resolution 2803, which endorsed the Trump peace plan. He accused Mladenov of trying to ‘reshape the process’ to suit Israel’s agenda, with ‘no real guarantees’ for future commitments.

Amjad Iraqi, a senior analyst from the International Crisis Group, said the ceasefire process now looks stuck, with ‘a lot of distrust about whether this programme can actually move forwards.’ He noted that Hamas faces pressure to accept the disarmament plan, particularly as mediators’ attention shifts toward Iran.

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour continues to endorse the Trump peace plan and remains hopeful that Mladenov can advance his disarmament framework. ‘It is complicated,’ he said, ‘but it seems that he is determined, and he is in charge of this process at the Board of Peace so there are powerful forces behind him.’

Mansour stressed that work is ongoing with the new technocratic committee to get 200,000 temporary housing units into the strip. Some 5,000 new Palestinian police officers for Gaza are said to have been recruited, with many trained in Egypt. Ultimately, they are meant to serve alongside an International Stabilisation Force. However, Mansour said this was only the ‘beginning,’ and that the second phase of the plan would be implemented in the coming weeks and months.

The lull in violence has given a glimpse of more hopeful possibilities if the push for peace succeeds. But continuing setbacks mean many Palestinians are increasingly skeptical about the prospects for the Trump plan, fearing that it could break down while international attention is focused elsewhere.