The crisis in Gaza has faded from international attention as the focus has shifted to the agreement between the United States and Iran to reduce tensions in the Middle East.
In the Palestinian enclave, residents say the humanitarian situation remains dire, while diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution have yet to produce any concrete results.
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“The whole world has forgotten Gaza and its tragedy,” says Ahmed Jamali, 53, a Palestinian living in a camp for displaced people in Gaza City, with bitterness. Speaking to AFP, he says that while global attention has been focused on talks between the US and Iran, the suffering of Gaza’s residents is no longer receiving attention.
“Israel does whatever it wants: it kills, destroys and occupies Gaza, and no one in the world lifts a finger,” he says.
The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, where, according to Hamas’s Health Ministry, more than 73,000 people have been killed, a figure the UN also considers credible.
The conflict later spread across the region, including clashes between Israel and Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Although Israel established a fragile ceasefire in Gaza in October 2025, four months later it, together with the United States, opened a new military front against Iran. Hostilities ended after the signing of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” between Washington and Tehran.
However, there is no mention of Gaza in this document. It focuses on ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, an issue analysts see as a priority for Iran.
According to Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations, this indicates that Hamas has lost some of its strategic importance for Tehran.
“The Iranians are not really interested in Gaza. Hamas was an ally, but not an Iranian chess piece and, in their view, it betrayed them,” assesses Israeli military expert Eido Hecht.
On the other hand, a Western diplomatic source involved in the Gaza issue stresses that the absence of references to the Palestinian enclave in the US-Iran agreement does not mean the war is over, but rather that for now there is no credible political solution for the future of the territory.
On the ground, the situation remains unchanged. The humanitarian crisis continues, while around 60% of Gaza’s territory remains under the control of the Israeli army.
The Israeli government insists on the complete disarmament of Hamas before any political discussion, while the Palestinian movement refuses to surrender its weapons without guarantees for the creation of an alternative Palestinian administration.
According to the report, contacts are taking place in Cairo between Palestinian representatives, including Hamas officials, envoys of US President Donald Trump, as well as representatives of Qatar and Turkey, in an effort to find a solution.
A source involved in these talks told AFP that “major efforts” are being made, but acknowledged that the process remains difficult.
Hugh Lovatt also underlines that negotiations are progressing, but adds that the sides remain far apart on an agreement for Gaza’s reconstruction.
Meanwhile, concern over a resumption of the war remains high. Israeli airstrikes and sporadic clashes have not stopped completely, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to threaten to disarm Hamas by force.
Israeli media have reported that plans are being considered for a new military offensive against Hamas this summer.
However, experts believe Israel has limited room for action because of its military commitments and pressure from its main ally, the United States, which is seeking to avoid a new escalation in the Middle East.
According to analyst Michael Milstein, Israel may be forced to accept a gradual process for Hamas’s disarmament and a political transition framework. However, he warns that with Israeli parliamentary elections approaching at the end of October, the possibility cannot be ruled out that Netanyahu’s government will choose a new military offensive.
