An October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas paused the two-year Gaza war amid urgent calls for humanitarian relief. Days before the agreement, international journalists were granted a rare, military-escorted tour of northern Gaza City, where relentless bombardment has upended civilian life and crippled essential services
Ceasefire Agreement and Hostage Exchange
On October 10, 2025, Israel and Hamas implemented the first phase of a mediated ceasefire. The deal requires the release of 48 Israeli hostages within 72 hours and the phased return of Palestinian detainees. Israeli forces shifted to defensive positions while retaining control over roughly half of Gaza’s territory. Humanitarian corridors opened for aid delivery and civilian movement.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Military Escort for Media Access
On October 4, 2024, an Israeli military convoy escorted international journalists into northern Gaza City after two years of near-total media restrictions. Reporters traveled via the Netzarim corridor under strict guard, witnessing armored vehicles on patrol and viewing drone footage claiming to show underground tunnels used by Hamas beneath medical facilities.[7][8][9][10]
Health System Under Strain
Gaza’s health infrastructure nears collapse. As of October 2025, only 19 of 36 hospitals remain partially operational, down from 36 before the war began. The World Health Organization reports 697 attacks on health facilities since October 2023, damaging or destroying 490. Medical supplies run critically low and staffing shortages hamper emergency care.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
Jordanian Field Hospitals and Civilian Care
Since November 2023, Jordan has operated two field hospitals in Gaza City and Khan Younis as part of its “Restoring Hope” initiative. These facilities have treated thousands of patients and fitted over 580 amputees with prosthetic limbs. Jordanian authorities deny any military use of their medical sites.[17][18][19][20][21]
Allegations of Military Use of Medical Facilities
Israeli authorities allege Hamas embedded command centers and weapons caches under Al-Shifa and other hospitals, presenting tunnel-shaft footage extending over 700 feet underground. Independent investigators confirm the existence of tunnels beneath several sites but find no conclusive proof of active headquarters in medical buildings. Hospital administrators and humanitarian groups dispute the scope of these military activities.[9][10][22][23]
Civilian Displacement and Casualties
Gaza’s prewar population of 2.2 million has suffered severe losses. Over two years, more than 67,200 Palestinians have been killed and 169,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, figures endorsed by the United Nations and independent experts. Approximately 1 million residents of Gaza City fled under evacuation orders, though many later returned under earlier truce agreements.[24][25][26][27][28][29]
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the current hostilities killed 1,139 Israelis—695 civilians and 373 security personnel—with 251 hostages taken.[25][30]
Restrictions on Journalistic Reporting
Since the outbreak of hostilities, 227 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza and Israel, the highest toll in any conflict since World War II, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel’s military controls entry permits for foreign journalists, severely limiting independent reporting. The October 2024 escorted visit was one of the few opportunities for firsthand coverage in northern Gaza.[8][31][32][7]
