The fragile peace in Gaza, brokered by the United States, is marked by airstrikes, shootings, and a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, with hundreds of civilians killed since its implementation. A Sky News investigation, drawing on ground reports and satellite analysis, reveals a stark contrast between the diplomatic agreement and the brutal reality for Palestinians.
A Ceasefire in Name Only: Daily Deaths and Displacement
The human toll of the conflict continues to mount even during this period of supposed calm. Health officials in Gaza report at least 406 people have been killed and 1,000 injured since the ceasefire began on 10 October 2025. The victims include the most vulnerable: infants and children.
In one harrowing incident, a five-month-old baby was buried in a makeshift shroud of white tarpaulin after an Israeli strike hit the Gaza Martyrs School, a designated shelter in an area supposedly under Israeli military control. In another, a 29-day-old infant succumbed to hypothermia on a cold morgue table, a casualty of the dire conditions in displacement camps.
"It is one of the most devastated places on earth to date," states Alessandro Mrakic, head of the United Nations Development Programme's Gaza office. He confirms that 85% of buildings in Gaza have been partially or totally damaged, leaving almost two million people displaced with no prospect of return.
The Shifting Yellow Line: A Deadly Frontier
A central feature of the US-led peace plan's first phase is the "yellow line" demarcating Israeli military control. However, Sky News Data & Forensics analysis of satellite imagery shows this boundary is not static. Israeli military blocks placed on the ground are between 390 and 490 metres deeper into Gaza than officially mapped, effectively annexing more territory daily.
"Every day it is changing, every day the yellow line swallows more land," explains Maha Hussein, Strategy Director of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor in Gaza. "We have so far documented that the yellow line has swallowed 53 - 54% of Gaza's land." This encroachment has deadly consequences. Civilians, including children, who approach the shifting frontier are deemed "suspects" by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and face lethal force.
One such victim was 16-year-old Zahir Nasser Shamia. Eyewitnesses and video evidence suggest he was shot in the head by Israeli forces near the yellow blocks and then run over by a bulldozer. The IDF stated it "eliminated" a terrorist posing an "immediate threat" but provided no evidence of Zahir's involvement in militant activity.
Blocked Reconstruction and Political Stalemate
While devastation is widespread, recovery is impossible under current restrictions. The Israeli unit COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) confirmed to Sky News that no reconstruction materials or heavy machinery are being allowed into Gaza, in line with the current phase of the agreement.
This blockade condemns the population to prolonged suffering. Even if permission were granted, the scale of the task is monumental. Alessandro Mrakic's preliminary calculations suggest that just removing an estimated 60 million tons of rubble would take seven years under optimal conditions with full resources.
The political path forward remains uncertain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss the next phase of the Gaza plan and other regional conflicts. In a firm pre-meeting statement, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, declared, "We are deep inside Gaza and we will never leave Gaza... We're there to defend, to prevent what happened in the past," referencing the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.
As diplomats prepare for talks, the situation on the ground for Gazans is one of perpetual fear and loss. With borders shifting, reconstruction banned, and military operations continuing, the US-backed ceasefire has failed to halt the violence or address the profound humanitarian crisis unfolding in the strip.
