Commentary on the Current Post-War Situation in the Gaza Strip for Radio Prostor

Date of publication: October 14, 2025

On October 14, 2025, Filip Sommer, Director of the Prague Center for Middle East Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University, commented on the current developments in the Gaza Strip following the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on October 9, 2025.

Context
On October 9, 2025, after two years of hostilities, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was concluded with significant mediation by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey and notable support from the United States. It is essential to mention President Donald Trump’s twenty-point peace plan, which played (and continues to play) a crucial role in this process.

In the first phase, an exchange of prisoners took place, 20 surviving Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 1,700 Palestinian political prisoners from the Gaza Strip and 250 Palestinians serving life sentences.

Negotiations have now moved into the second phase, focusing on the post-war political arrangement in Gaza. Israel demands Hamas’s disarmament and withdrawal from the Strip (in exchange for an amnesty). Conversely, Hamas insists on being part of the post-war governance structure in Gaza. It also rejects the idea of transferring authority to a technocratic government appointed “from the outside” and will likely seek to fill the vacuum that might emerge after a potential Israeli withdrawal.

The plan also envisions the deployment of an international stabilization force composed of both Arab and Western countries. Its mandate would be to ensure security, oversee the political transition, and train new Palestinian police and security forces.

In addition, a civil-military coordination center is expected to be established, involving troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates under U.S. supervision. American forces would primarily coordinate the activities of these units, manage humanitarian aid delivery, and monitor compliance with the ceasefire terms, but would not directly intervene inside the Gaza Strip.

As part of reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip, estimated at around 50 billion USD, the participation of states such as Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates has been discussed. However, this largely reflects the vision of President Donald Trump. In reality, Arab states remain reluctant to commit major financial resources unless the process leads to a clear political outcome, namely, the creation of a Palestinian state. Trump’s plan, however, explicitly does not include such a provision.