The ceasefire deal agreed upon in Egypt marks the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip after two years of devastating conflict, a period that has inflicted a human and economic catastrophe of historic proportions upon the enclave. While the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered peace plan offers an immediate respite and the hope of reuniting hostages with their families, the long shadow of the war—characterized by unimaginable human loss, the total destruction of civil society, and a shattered economy—now defines the territory’s future. The end of the bombing runs must now give way to a decades-long struggle for recovery against a backdrop of deep political uncertainty.
The Catastrophic Human Toll: A Scar on a Generation
The most immediate and heartbreaking cost of the two-year war is etched into the civilian population of Gaza. The sheer scale of casualties and displacement has few modern precedents.
◦ Mass Fatalities and Injuries: As of October 2025, Israeli attacks in Gaza have reportedly killed over 67,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. This number represents approximately 3% of Gaza’s pre-war population. Beyond the dead, more than 168,000 people have been wounded, with an estimated 42,000 Gazans suffering life-changing injuries. Tragically, the United Nations estimates that Gaza is now home to the world’s largest cohort of child amputees per capita, a stark reflection of the intensity of the violence.
◦ Health System Collapse: The healthcare infrastructure has been decimated. The destruction of hospitals and clinics, coupled with the lack of critical resources and the denial of fuel and aid, led to a collapse of public health services. This has resulted in a severe health crisis, with mass fatalities from indirect causes such as malnourishment, infectious disease outbreaks (including waterborne diseases and polio), and previously survivable infections. Life expectancy in Gaza is estimated to have dropped by up to half in the first year of the conflict.
◦ Famine and Malnutrition: The Israeli blockade and restrictions on aid, which in the spring of 2025 plunged parts of the enclave into famine, left the civilian population facing catastrophic hunger. Food insecurity remains rampant, with over half a million people facing conditions characterized by starvation and destitution. The war has exposed 322,000 children under the age of five to the risk of severe malnutrition, with 60,000 requiring immediate treatment for wasting.
◦ Mass Displacement and Destruction: The conflict forced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents from their homes, many of whom were displaced multiple times into ever-shrinking, overcrowded, and unsanitary spaces. The United Nations reports that 91.8% of schools have been severely damaged or destroyed, and those that remain have been converted into emergency shelters. The complete destruction of essential water, sanitation, and waste management (WASH) infrastructure has created overwhelming public health risks.
Psychological Trauma: The Silent Crisis
The psychological devastation of the war will last generations. The population has endured continuous and extreme exposure to trauma, resulting in a mental health crisis of catastrophic scale:
◦ Adult Distress: Studies estimate that war exposure leads to symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 30% to 50% of adult civilians in war-torn areas, with rates of depression and anxiety being similarly high. In Gaza, these rates are likely much higher, compounded by the constant sense of helplessness, loss of family, and complete destruction of their homes and livelihoods.
◦ The Children’s Crisis: Children are the most vulnerable. Studies found that over 95% of children in Gaza exhibit symptoms of psychological distress, including aggression, hyperactivity, severe anxiety, and depression. Many exhibit traumatic stress symptoms such as bedwetting, fear of loud noises, and hyper-vigilance. The U.N. estimates that 660,000 children are out of school, potentially setting back their education by five years, severely limiting their future prospects. The disruption of the birth registration system also means an estimated 10,000 newborns may not have been registered since October 2023.
Economic Annihilation: Erasure of Development Gains
The economic impact on Gaza is one of total collapse, erasing decades of development gains in a matter of months.
◦ GDP Contraction and Poverty: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the State of Palestine is projected to have contracted by over 35% in 2024. For Gaza specifically, the World Bank reported an 80% shrinkage of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2023. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) projects the Human Development Index (HDI) of Gaza to drop to a level not seen in over 20 years. Multidimensional poverty has more than doubled across the Palestinian territories, rising from 24.1% to an estimated 55.4% nationally.
◦ Job Losses: The war caused catastrophic job losses. By June 2024, the International Labour Organization estimated unemployment in Gaza had soared to 80%. At the one-month mark, an estimated 61% of employment in Gaza was lost.
◦ Construction Sector Ruin: All economic sectors suffered severe declines, none more so than construction, which faces projected declines of up to 70%. The total value of investments wiped out by the war is estimated to be over 50 billion.
The Daunting Challenge of Reconstruction
The ceasefire is the first step, but the path from cessation of fighting to stability is long and treacherous. Reconstruction is likely to be hampered by three major challenges:
◦ Sheer Scale and Timeline: The UN estimates that Gaza will require more than 50 billion for reconstruction, and that rebuilding the Strip to make it habitable again could take at least 15 years. Every sector of civil life—housing, health, water, power—must be entirely rebuilt from the ground up.
◦ Political Gridlock: Without resolving the political issues—namely the future governance of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas—reconstruction funds and materials will be difficult to secure. International and Arab donors are unlikely to commit billions to rebuilding only to see the infrastructure destroyed in a renewed conflict. The split of the agreement into phases means the trust required to usher in a period of rebuilding has not yet been secured.
◦ Access to Materials: Regional and international pressure will be needed to ensure Israel allows the massive influx of construction materials necessary for rebuilding, a challenge that has plagued previous, smaller reconstruction efforts.
The formal end of the two-year war brings an end to the active destruction, but it signals the beginning of a profound humanitarian and political undertaking. The legacy of the conflict is a Gaza reduced to rubble, a people grappling with collective trauma, and a future entirely dependent on whether the international community can ensure the political agreements of Phase Two are realized.
Footage Charlie Kirk has been shot
Charlie Kirk has been shot
