While attention focuses on the date of the next round of US-Israeli negotiations aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, interest has declined in the Gaza Strip. The enclave witnessed an Israeli war that ended in a fragile ceasefire, after resulting in the martyrdom of more than 73,000 Palestinians.
اضافة اعلان
The ceasefire was announced in October 2025 based on a plan by US President Donald Trump, which stipulates a complete end to the war and the reconstruction of Gaza.
"Since the US war on Iran, the whole world has forgotten Gaza and Gaza's tragedy," says Ahmed Jamali, 53, who lives in a displaced persons camp in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.
He adds, "We have no protector. We are a weak and oppressed party, and Israel does everything—it kills, destroys, and occupies Gaza, while no one in the world lifts a finger."
Hezbollah in Lebanon had opened a "support front" for Gaza against Israel, while the Houthis in Yemen launched missile attacks against Israel in support of the Palestinians.
Four months after the ceasefire declaration in the Gaza Strip, Israel and the United States launched a violent offensive against Iran. This triggered a war that expanded to several countries in the region, as Iran responded to the strikes targeting it by bombing Israel and several Arab countries, while Hezbollah in Lebanon reopened a front with Israel in support of Iran.
A ceasefire on the US-Israeli-Iranian front was announced on April 8, followed by a ceasefire on the Hezbollah-Israel front about ten days later. The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June aimed at ending the war, which included halting military operations in Lebanon, but it made no mention of the Gaza Strip.
Sources close to Hamas, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said this caused disappointment among some Hamas officials.
A Palestinian child walks near a displaced persons camp on the beach of Gaza City, July 3, 2026. (AFP)
Not a Priority
At the beginning of the war, Iranian officials had spoken of their adherence to an agreement that would encompass the entire region.
Analysts believe this silence regarding Gaza indicates a broader shift in priorities.
"It reflects Hamas's declining strategic weight in the eyes of Iran," Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) told AFP.
He added, "Gaza is gradually fading from the international spotlight."
Reports indicate that Iran supported Hamas for years with money and weapons, but the nature of the relationship changed after the October 7, 2023 attack.
A Western diplomat based in Jerusalem told AFP that Gaza's absence from the agreement reflects a political stalemate rather than actual progress.
He added, "Gaza is absent from the agreement (...) because there is no credible political framework for the day after."
On the ground, Israel continues to bomb the Strip on a near-regular basis—occupying more than 60% of it—leaving martyrs, wounded, and further destruction despite the ceasefire, while the suffocating humanitarian crisis persists.
Israel insists on the complete disarmament of Hamas before any political transition begins, while Hamas refuses to give up its weapons without guarantees for the establishment of an alternative Palestinian authority to manage the Strip.
Cairo Talks
Despite this, negotiations regarding the future of Gaza continue behind the scenes. The latest round took place in Cairo, where meetings were held with the participation of Palestinian factions, including Hamas, representatives of the Peace Council established by Trump, and regional parties such as Qatar and Turkey.
"Trump may want to give this process a chance. It remains to be seen whether it will succeed," said a source familiar with the negotiations.
Although few details have been made public, diplomatic and security sources told AFP that negotiators are working on a roadmap that combines the gradual disarmament of Hamas with the creation of transitional authorities to administer Gaza.
Conversely, Israeli media quoted military and political officials saying the government would reject such a framework.
"For now, this diplomatic process only exists on the negotiating table," Lovatt said.
He added, "Some progress has been made, but reconstruction remains far off, and nothing is changing for the people on the ground."
AFP
