After 15 months of fighting, displaced Palestinians returning to Gaza City this week fund the city in ruins as mediators gets ready for the next round of ceasefire talks. Israeli bombing has turned buildings in the once-vibrant metropolitan centre into rubble, leaving it in ruins.

Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: Mass Return Amid Devastation

Hamas authorities report over 300,000 people—nearly half of those displaced from northern Gaza have returned to Gaza City and its northern areas. Returnees face significant challenges:

• Many are compelled to hide among the wreckage
• Families have spilt up throughout the lengthy journey north
• There is no way to get around on the coastal roadway
• Most of the vital infrastructure has been damaged

“Look at this scene, there is nothing to say,” said Abu Mohammad, a returning resident. “People will sleep on the ground. There is nothing left.”

Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: Development and Execution

The current phase of the ceasefire agreement includes:

• On Thursday, three Israeli hostages are expected to be released
• On Saturday, three more are anticipated to be released
• Some are going into exile in exchange for Palestinian detainees
• Algeria, Qatar, and Turkey are among the nations willing to house freed inmates

Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: Development in Diplomacy

Egyptian mediators met with senior Hamas officials in Cairo under the leadership of Mohammad Darwish. The delegation talked about alleged Israeli violations of the truce and looked at ways to bring the Palestinians together, including an Egyptian plan for Gaza’s governance after the conflict.

Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: Looking Ahead

The second stage of negotiations, set to begin next Tuesday, will address:

• The situation with more than 60 hostages still alive
• Israeli soldiers’ total pullout from Gaza
• Possible plans for the destroyed area’s rehabilitation
• Arrangements for future government

The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages, has resulted in nearly 47,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: Challenges to Peace

Hardliners in Netanyahu’s government are pressing him to keep Hamas in control, even though Hamas says it is confident in moving forward with talks. U.S. President Trump’s contentious plan to move Palestinians to Egypt or Jordan, which has been strongly opposed by both Palestinians and regional authorities, has further exacerbated the situation.

The success of these negotiations could determine not only the immediate future of Gaza but also the broader prospects for peace in the region.