RT recaps 2025 for Gaza and Israel

Nearly deuce years after the state of war began on oct 7, 2023, the improver state of affairs in Gaza has only deteriorated further amid Israel’s military campaign in the enclave. What was once described as the world’s largest open-air prison is now increasingly seen as an open-air graveyard.

The scale of destruction, civilian casualties, and mass displacement has prompted repeated warnings from the United Nations, including findings by UN bodies that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

The Jewish state launched its military operation following a surprise Hamas attack in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. According to the Hamas-run health authorities, Israeli operations have since left more than 71,000 Palestinians dead.

While 2025 ultimately brought a peace agreement for Gaza – leading to the return of Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners – the deal remains fragile. Questions persist over its implementation and durability, while concerns are growing over a broader regional escalation, including the risk of renewed confrontation with Iran.

RT recaps the key developments for Israel and Gaza in 2025.

A long-feared direct war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, 2025, after Israel launched large-scale air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities in Operation Rising Lion. More than 200 Israeli jets struck targets across Iran, killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists. The Islamic Republic responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at Israeli cities, triggering nationwide air raid alerts.

The conflict escalated further when the US joined the fighting on June 22, carrying out bunker-buster strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. After nearly two weeks of intense exchanges, a US-brokered ceasefire came into force on June 24.

At least 610 people were killed in Iran and nearly 4,700 wounded, according to local health officials. In Israel, 28 people were killed and more than 3,200 injured. While both sides claimed victory, the brief war marked a dangerous new phase in regional confrontation.

In September, a UN-appointed independent commission of inquiry delivered its strongest findings yet on the war in Gaza, concluding that genocide is occurring and continues to unfold. The commission cited tens of thousands of civilian deaths, mass displacement, starvation, and the widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, and infrastructure.

The report accused Israeli leaders – including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – of incitement to genocide, arguing that statements by senior officials demonstrated clear genocidal intent, a key legal threshold under international law.

Israel rejected the findings, calling the report politically motivated and defamatory. While the commission’s conclusions do not represent the UN’s formal legal position, they intensified global pressure on governments to act, as senior UN officials warned that evidence of genocidal crimes is mounting.

The year 2025 also marked the first long-term ceasefire agreement between Israelis and Palestinians since the war began in October 2023, following months of stalled and indirect negotiations. Until then, the only pause in fighting had been a brief four-day truce in November 2023, after weeks of intense combat that devastated large parts of Gaza.

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