Two Years Since the Deadly Hamas Attack, Can Trump’s Plan Really Bring Peace to Gaza?

It has been two years since Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, triggering one of the bloodiest episodes in the modern history of the conflict. Nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attacks on October 7, 2023, and 251 hostages were abducted and taken to Gaza. The attack pushed an already volatile Middle East into deeper crisis. However, now, as talks resume under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, hopes for an end to the war are flickering back to life. The Initial Attack and Its Retaliation On October 7, 2023, fighters from Hamas and allied militias breached the fortified border of Gaza and launched a relentless attack on Southern Israel. Israel, caught off guard by the scale of the operation, has described it as “the darkest day in decades.” The next day, the Israeli government began a full-scale military response. Since then, operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed at least 66,000 people, according to figures released by Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities. Around 80% of the dead are reported to be civilians, though independent agencies warn the real toll may be even higher. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 90% of Gaza’s homes have been damaged or destroyed. Roughly 1.9 million of the enclave’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced. Israel’s blockade of Gaza has caused severe food shortages, with a UN-backed famine monitor reporting at least 450 deaths due to starvation, including 150 children.Trump’s Ceasefire Plan Last month, US President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan intended to end the war and start the reconstruction of Gaza. The proposal, which was put forth alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, included the release of hostages and the gradual rebuilding of Gaza under international supervision. Hamas, which has been severely weakened since the beginning of the conflict as several of their top leaders have been killed by IDF, has released several hostages on October 3, 2025. Despite this being the first mark of progress in implementing the peace plan, several of the provisions, including those surrounding Gaza’s governance, continue to remain unacceptable for Hamas. Former Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, told The Excerpt podcast that shifting political realities may offer an opening. “I am actually much more hopeful today than a decade ago,” he said. “Despite two of the most difficult years in the history of Israel and the Middle East, shifting geopolitical conditions may open new paths to peace.” Even Netanyahu has been cautious in his assessment. He acknowledged that while the plan could pave the way for a ceasefire, it also carried the risk of renewed escalation. Gaza’s Humanitarian CrisisAcross Gaza, the destruction is near total. Satellite imagery shows large swathes of Gaza City reduced to rubble. Almost every resident has been displaced at least once since the conflict began. The United Nations says one in three people now go without food for days, underscoring the depth of the humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu has rejected accusations that Israel is deliberately starving the population, claiming Hamas has diverted aid “for its own purposes.” But US Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Gaza as part of a congressional fact-finding mission, sharply criticized Israel’s actions. “Israel is implementing a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians, and is using hunger as a weapon of war,” he said. How the Conflict Affected the Entire RegionThe war’s second year has redrawn much of the Middle East’s political map. Israeli airstrikes have reached far beyond Gaza, striking targets in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and, most dramatically, Iran. In Lebanon, Israeli operations against Hezbollah have killed more than 3,100 people, including the group’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The IDF’s 2024 campaign pushed Hezbollah fighters north of the Litani River before a ceasefire took effect on 26 November. Despite that truce, Israeli bombardments have continued, with officials citing Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm. By mid-2025, Israel’s focus had shifted toward Iran. After years of covert “shadow warfare,” the two states fought openly for 12 days in June 2025. The so-called 12-Day War saw Israeli strikes devastate parts of Iran’s military infrastructure and prompted US air raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. Though the raids’ effectiveness remains disputed, they allowed President Trump to declare victory and press both sides to halt hostilities. Iran’s limited retaliation — a symbolic missile strike on a US base in Qatar — appeared designed to avoid escalation. Elsewhere, Israel has targeted Houthi rebels in Yemen who had attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea. In Syria, the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has enabled Israel to occupy parts of the southern buffer zone near the Golan Heights, in violation of a 1974 agreement. In September, an Israeli strike in Doha aimed at killing senior Hamas figures failed, instead provoking rare unity among Gulf states and anger in Washington. Backlash over the strikes, however, brought Israel to accept the ceasefire plan as both US and Qatari officials pushed for broader talks. The Hostage Question Of the 251 hostages taken captive on October 7, 2023, most have been released through earlier ceasefire deals, or their remains have been returned. Roughly 20 people are still believed to be alive in captivity, while the bodies of at least 25 others have yet to be recovered. Families continue to hold vigils and protests demanding their release. Outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, demonstrators displayed a banner reading: “48 hostages are waiting for leaders to make courageous decisions.” Macabit Mayer, whose twin nephews Ziv and Gali Berman remain in captivity, spoke emotionally at the rally. “Her heart was racing and she could not breathe… an entire nation wants to breathe again,” she said. The brothers marked their 28th birthday in captivity this September. The Road Ahead Two years on, Gaza lies shattered with its people displaced, its infrastructure decimated, and its future uncertain. Thousands of people have lost their lives and the conflict has reshaped the entire landscape of the Middle East. Although Trump’s ceasefire plan may offer an end to the instability, analysts have cautioned that real peace in the region is still miles away.