A ceasefire was implemented in Gaza on October 14 between the Zionist state of Israel and the Hamas group, mediated by the US. Contrary to what US President Donald Trump boasts of as a “diplomatic gift,” this resulted from the Palestinian people’s unwavering resolve and refusal to surrender their nation. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are walking back to Gaza City to gradually reclaim the lives destroyed by Israel’s genocide.

Despite the agreement, Israel continues to violate Palestinian rights. Its forces have killed 97 people between October 14 and October 19. On October 19, Israel suddenly blocked the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying food into Gaza.

Hamas fulfilled its part in the provision for the release of all 20 remaining living captives. It also began transferring custody of 23 bodies of captives killed by Israel’s relentless assaults.

On October 7 and the days that followed, millions worldwide marked the second anniversary of Al Aqsa Flood to support the just resistance of the Palestinians and condemn the genocide. Massive demonstrations took place in the UK, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the US, Canada, and Japan. In the Philippines, national-democratic groups held protests denouncing Israel’s weaponizing of food and aid. On October 17, Ateneo de Manila University students organized a campus camp-in for Palestine.

Scientists and experts estimate that the cumulative death toll in Palestine has reached 680,000, including 380,000 infants and children under the age of five. Over 68,000 of them were directly killed by Israeli soldiers’ bombs and bullets.

International agencies have also recorded famine-inflicted deaths at 400, including 140 children. Meanwhile, about 3,000 people were killed while queuing for or competing over aid and food, many in the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation “death traps” operated by American and Israeli soldiers.