Gaza Ceasefire Remains Fragile as Israeli Opposition Unites Ahead of Election

The October 2025 Gaza ceasefire has reduced the scale of fighting but has not stopped Israeli military operations or reported deaths. As of September 24, 2026, Gaza’s Health Ministry said 73,928 Palestinians had been killed since October 7, 2023, including more than 1,400 since the ceasefire began. These are ministry-reported figures. 135

The unresolved questions extend beyond stopping the fighting: Hamas’s disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, Gaza’s future governance and the conditions for reconstruction remain central to implementing the truce. Meanwhile, five Israeli opposition leaders are coordinating their campaigns ahead of the October 27 election, without yet agreeing on a shared route to forming a government. 81011

The ceasefire has not ended deaths or Israeli operations

The ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported five more deaths in the 24 hours before September 24, 2026, bringing its reported toll since October 7, 2023, to 73,928. The ministry also reported that more than 1,400 people had been killed since the ceasefire began. 35

A June 2026 UK government bulletin said Israeli military operations and airstrikes continued in Gaza despite the ceasefire, with further casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. The reported deaths and continuing operations show that the truce has not brought an end to violence on the ground. 1

Disarmament, withdrawal and governance remain difficult questions

The ceasefire established a technocratic Palestinian governing committee, and Hamas dissolved its Gaza government. But Hamas has refused to disarm, citing ongoing Israeli strikes, according to the Council on Foreign Relations’ conflict tracker. That leaves disarmament and Israeli withdrawal among the major unresolved implementation issues. 8

The available reporting does not set out a mutually agreed timetable for those steps. Continued Israeli operations add to the difficulty of moving from a ceasefire toward a settled postwar arrangement. 18

Reconstruction also means finding safe shelter

A wider plan to end the war and rebuild Gaza was part of the context for the October 2025 ceasefire, but the destruction and humanitarian crisis remain substantial. 1

Immediate housing needs illustrate the challenge. In a September 2026 report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said a war-damaged residential building collapsed in Gaza City, reportedly killing 21 people, including 12 children. It also said many people remained in unsafe buildings because better housing arrangements were unavailable. 4

Five opposition leaders coordinate before Israel’s election

Israel’s October 27, 2026 election will be its first national vote since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. 9

Yair Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan have agreed to coordinate efforts against Netanyahu. Their cooperation includes boosting voter turnout and coordinating campaign work; they also agreed to stop attacking one another. 1013

The agreement is a campaign strategy, not a settled coalition arrangement. The leaders have not agreed who would lead a government or how they would form one, leaving a key question about their ability to replace Netanyahu unanswered. 1112