Two Years After Hamas Attack, Can Israel and Gaza Finally End the War?

Two years after Hamas launched its deadly assault on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, both sides are facing mounting pressure to bring the devastating war to an end.

The timing of the renewed peace talks is painfully symbolic — coinciding exactly with the anniversary of the October 7 attacks that left Israelis deeply scarred and Palestinians trapped in a humanitarian nightmare.

Across Israel, war fatigue has set in. Polls suggest most citizens now favour a deal that would secure the release of hostages and end the prolonged conflict.

In Gaza, the suffering has reached catastrophic levels. More than two million people are struggling to survive amid Israeli bombardments, hunger, and what aid agencies describe as a man-made famine, worsened by restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the enclave.

Hamas, facing intense military and political pressure, is now signalling a willingness to step aside for a technocratic Palestinian administration — a major shift that could open the door for talks.

Israel, however, remains focused on seeking the complete defeat of Hamas. Yet the very fact that negotiations are taking place at all hints at a rare, fragile window for diplomacy.

Still, as history has shown, opportunities for peace in this conflict are often fleeting. Whether Israel and Hamas will seize this moment — or let it slip away once more — remains uncertain.