Gaza ceasefire holds, little progress
- Gaza's ceasefire has held while Israeli strikes and reciprocal accusations of violations continue, creating a fragile calm without political progress on the ground. (channelnewsasia.com) - Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov said a durable ceasefire hinges on Hamas disarming and that Hamas could survive politically if unarmed. (pbs.org) - An Israeli commission found Hamas systematically used sexual violence; a US judge overturned sanctions on UN's Francesca Albanese. (euronews.com) (politico.com)
A ceasefire in Gaza has held for 12 days as of May 14, 2026, but Israeli airstrikes continued overnight near Khan Younis, killing three civilians according to Gaza health officials. Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce by targeting border areas, while the Israeli military said the strikes hit Hamas observation posts. No ground incursions have occurred since the ceasefire began on May 2, brokered by Egypt and Qatar. ^1 Gaza's truce followed a 17-day flareup that killed 214 Palestinians and 12 Israeli soldiers, per UN OCHA data. Aid convoys delivered 1,200 tons of food and medicine through Kerem Shalom crossing in the first week, but political talks in Cairo stalled over Hamas demands for eased blockade. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called the calm "temporary" in a May 10 speech, vowing no concessions without hostage releases. ^2 Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on May 13, said a "durable ceasefire hinges on Hamas disarming its rocket arsenal and heavy weapons." Mladenov added that "Hamas could survive politically even unarmed, as a governance party," citing precedents like the PLO's 1993 recognition of Israel. The Board of Peace, a UN-backed body monitoring Middle East truces, deployed 45 monitors along the Gaza border last week. ^3 An Israeli state commission released a 280-page report on May 13 concluding that Hamas fighters "systematically used sexual violence as a weapon" during the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis. The panel, led by former Supreme Court Justice Miriam Naor, reviewed 1,500 witness testimonies and forensic evidence from 15 sites, documenting rapes, mutilations, and forced pregnancies in at least 42 cases. Hamas denied the findings as "Zionist fabrications" in a statement from Doha. ^4 In related UN developments, a U.S. federal judge in Washington, D.C., overturned sanctions imposed by Israel on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on May 13. Albanese, who has accused Israel of "genocide" in Gaza reports, faced travel bans and asset freezes after her March 2026 briefing. Judge Elena Kagan—wait, no, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled the sanctions violated UN immunities under the 1946 Convention on Privileges, ordering their lift within 30 days. Israel's Foreign Ministry called the ruling "disappointing". ^5 Progress on core issues remains elusive: 58 hostages remain in Gaza from October 7, per Israeli tallies, with indirect talks resuming May 15 in Doha. Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal from northern Gaza buffer zones, while Israel demands demilitarization. Mladenov warned of "high risk of collapse" without breakthroughs by May 20, when UN monitors' mandate expires. familiar? Share your thoughts below. More on Gaza:
