Three years later, in West Asia, a peace still out of reach

Opinion Three years afterwards, in West Asia, a peace still out of reach No lasting settlement is feasible without Israel's participation, or without Hamas giving up arms in Gaza.

Key points

• 3 min readOct 7, 2026 06: 00 AM IST First published on: Oct 7, 2026 at 06: 00 AM IST.
• The situation in Gaza, where more than 70, 000 individuals have been killed in the last three years, continues to be enormously disturbing.
• The devastation that followed has left Israel isolated internationally, with a number of Western nations formally recognising the State of Palestine.

In practice, the power to enforce meaningful progress lies ultimately with the White House, but the US President seems consumed by the political fallout of the war with Iran.

For context, the horrific terror attack on Israel by Hamas three years ago, in which almost 1, 200 were killed and 251 taken hostage, set in motion a war that continues to ripple far beyond Gaza. The devastation that followed has left Israel isolated internationally, with a number of Western nations formally recognising the State of Palestine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to conduct joint military operations with the US against Iran, perceived to be weakened by internal turmoil and the decimation of its proxies, has plunged West Asia into further chaos. No lasting settlement in Gaza is feasible without Israel's participation, or without Hamas giving up arms – peace still doesn't look within reach.

Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza, where more than 70, 000 individuals have been killed in the last three years, continues to be enormously disturbing. The humanitarian crisis remains acute, with shortages of supplies, displacement and military strikes by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) despite the ceasefire that began almost a year ago. The much-touted peace plan of US President Donald Trump has created little progress. Only two weeks ago, the Board of Peace confirmed a $2.45 billion recovery plan for the Strip – a fraction of the $71.4 billion that the UN estimates will be required for recovery and reconstruction over the next decade. Hamas's disarmament remains an matter locked in an impasse: Israel states reconstruction cannot proceed without disarmament, while Hamas. It prolongs the stalemate and the suffering of Gazans, resists disarmament without a full Israeli withdrawal first. The first phase of the Trump plan envisaged Israel retaining control of 53 per cent of Gaza; since then, nevertheless, IDF forces have expanded their presence to two-thirds of the Strip.

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In short, three years later, in West Asia, a peace still out of reach is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.