As the Gaza war moves into its third year, peace talks offer some hope

"The war that Israel unleashed in Gaza nearly immediately thereafter has plunged the Palestinians living there into staggering levels of destruction and death. More than 67,000 people have died in the war, nearly a third of them children, according to Gaza's ministry of health. Rescue workers say more bodies lie buried beneath rubble, and that the death toll is higher than reported because they cannot retrieve people while Israeli bombardment continues. "When the war ends and the search and accurate counting begin, the entire world will be shocked by the scale of the tragedy that has befallen Gaza," Mahmoud Basal, Gaza's civil defense spokesman, said."

"The Gaza Strip itself has been nearly leveled, with the United Nations estimating 78% of structures having been damaged or destroyed, leaving a monumental task of rebuilding for whoever will govern the enclave next. Its residents suffer from famine, as Israeli military border controls continue to limit the food and aid that enters. But two years on, the anniversary is also lit by hope, as the leaders of Israel and Hamas are pushed by Arab countries and the U.S. toward a potential end to the war."

"This is not where the leaders of either Hamas or Israel wanted to end up. An Islamist militant group in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU and many other Western countries. Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza. The group has lost much support from Arab countries. The American ceasefire plan being negotiated this week could allow Israel's military to remain inside the Gaza Strip, and Israel has been calling for Hamas to be entirely demilitarized."

Nearly two years after the Oct. 7 attack that killed nearly 1,200 people and left 251 hostages, the Gaza war has caused catastrophic loss and destruction. Gaza's health ministry reports more than 67,000 deaths, including nearly a third who are children, and rescue teams say more bodies remain under rubble amid ongoing bombardment. The United Nations estimates 78% of structures are damaged or destroyed, creating a monumental rebuilding task. Border controls continue to limit food and aid, producing famine conditions. Hamas leadership has been decimated and its military capacity reduced, while ceasefire negotiations could leave Israeli forces inside Gaza and aim for Hamas demilitarization.

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