Gaza’s Broken Ceasefire: Death Toll Rises as Disarmament Talks Stall

Civilian Casualties from Recent Strikes

Airstrikes and shelling have continued throughout the ceasefire period, often hitting residential areas. Recent incidents include:

• May 17–18, 2026: Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and commanders, but health officials reported one strike hitting near a police post and another hitting a tent encampment .
• May 5, 2026: An airstrike killed one Palestinian and wounded two others near a police post in Khan Younis. On the same day, a tank shelling in central Gaza killed another person .
• Late April 2026: Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children. Two NGO workers were killed in separate incidents, triggering the suspension of health and water services .

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has noted that many of these incidents occur in residential areas, directly endangering civilians . The World Health Organization estimates that over 43,000 people in Gaza have sustained life-changing injuries .

Why Are Hamas Disarmament Talks Stalled?

The ceasefire’s second phase hinges on Hamas agreeing to verified disarmament and relinquishing control of Gaza. That has not happened. In its first report to the UN Security Council on May 20, 2026, the US-led Board of Peace (BoP) called Hamas “the principal obstacle” to progress, citing its refusal to accept verified decommissioning .

Nickolay Mladenov, the Board’s High Representative, has said disarmament is “not negotiable” . But talks have devolved into technical disputes over gun buybacks and small arms for law enforcement . Hamas insists it will only discuss disarmament after Israel fully implements phase one—meaning a complete military withdrawal from Gaza—and has called the demand a pretext for continued warfare .

The impasse has consequences beyond the negotiating table. A document obtained by The Times of Israel revealed that the BoP does not intend to hold Israel to the ceasefire terms if Hamas does not accept the disarmament framework, effectively giving Israel a green light to continue military operations . Israeli media report that the security cabinet has discussed contingency plans for a renewed full-scale war should talks collapse entirely .

Blockade, Aid Restrictions, and the Displacement Crisis

While diplomatic talks stall, the humanitarian situation on the ground deteriorates. The UN reports that nearly 1 million people across Gaza still need urgent shelter assistance, and most of the population remains displaced .

The aid effort faces relentless obstacles:

• Crossing closures: Israeli authorities have repeatedly shut all crossings into Gaza, including Rafah. These closures have been accompanied by the suspension of humanitarian movement coordination, medical evacuations, staff rotations, and the return of residents from abroad .
• Restricted supplies: The UN says limitations on “dual-use” items—including equipment needed to clear unexploded ordnance—continue to block critical mine-clearing and recovery work, putting civilians and aid workers at risk .
• Severe underfunding: The UN-coordinated 2026 Flash Appeal, which seeks over $4 billion to support nearly 3 million people across Gaza and the West Bank, is only about 13% funded .
• Ban on aid organizations: Israel refused to renew the operating licenses of 37 international humanitarian organizations at the start of 2026, including major groups like Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, further straining the aid architecture .

The closure of crossings has driven up prices and deepened the population’s reliance on humanitarian assistance . In the West Bank, a parallel crisis is unfolding: nearly 1,700 Palestinians were displaced by settler attacks and access restrictions in the first three months of 2026 alone—a figure that already surpasses the total for all of 2025 .

The UN warns that without a breakthrough in the transition plan, Gaza risks a “permanent” state of limbo . As Mladenov put it: “Seven months since the ceasefire, the door to the future of Gaza is still closed” .