Honestly, if you’re looking at the news about gaza today, the headlines feel like they’re pulling in two completely different directions. On one hand, you’ve got these high-level diplomatic announcements from Washington and Cairo about "Phase Two" of a massive peace plan. On the other, the reality on the ground is a mess of freezing tents, rubble, and sporadic gunfire that makes the word "ceasefire" sound like a dark joke to the people actually living there.
It is Saturday, January 17, 2026. We are now over 100 days into a ceasefire that was supposed to fix things. But here’s the reality: an infant—just 27 days old—died from the extreme cold in a tent this morning. That brings the total of children killed by the winter weather to eight since the season started. While politicians argue about who sits on which committee, families are literally freezing to death in the ruins of Gaza City and Khan Younis.
The "Phase Two" Reality Check
So, what is this "Phase Two" everyone is talking about? Basically, the Trump administration just announced the launch of the second stage of their "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict." This isn't just a small tweak. They’ve formed something called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
Think of the NCAG as a temporary government of "technocrats." It’s led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath, a guy who used to be a deputy minister for the Palestinian Authority and is an expert in infrastructure. The idea is to have Palestinian experts run the day-to-day stuff—trash, water, electricity—while an international force keeps the peace.
But there is a massive catch.
Israel just came out today with some pretty rare, sharp criticism of the U.S. plan. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government says this "Executive Committee" wasn’t coordinated with them and goes against their policy. Why? Because the committee includes big names like Jared Kushner, Tony Blair, and even an American general, but it doesn't give Israel the direct control over Gaza’s security that they’ve been demanding.
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It’s a classic diplomatic collision. The U.S. is pushing for a "Board of Peace" to handle reconstruction, while the Israeli cabinet is worried about who is actually going to disarm Hamas. Speaking of which, the plan calls for the total disarmament of Hamas as a condition for the Israeli military to fully withdraw. As you can imagine, that is a huge "if."
Survival in the Rubble
While the 20-point roadmaps look great on paper in a climate-controlled room in D.C., the news about gaza today for the average person is much grittier. Over 80% of the infrastructure is just... gone. Total ruins.
I was looking at the latest OCHA (UN humanitarian office) reports from this week. They managed to get about 170,000 bundles of bread out to people daily, but it’s nowhere near enough. Imagine trying to feed two million people when most of the bakeries have been leveled.
- The Death Toll: The latest count from medical sources in Gaza puts the total number of fatalities since October 2023 at 71,548.
- The Injuries: More than 171,000 people are wounded.
- The "Invisible" Deaths: Since this "ceasefire" started on October 10, 2025, over 460 people have died from sporadic violence or structural collapses.
The weather is the real killer right now. We're talking about heavy rainstorms and temperatures that dip toward freezing at night. If you’re living in a "high-performance tent" (as the UN calls them), you’re still basically sleeping on the ground. Most people are burning plastic or old furniture just to stay warm, which then creates a whole different health crisis with toxic fumes.
Who is actually running the show?
It’s a weird power vacuum. The UNRWA—the main agency for Palestinian refugees—is basically being squeezed out because of Israeli laws passed back in late 2024. They’ve lost over 380 staff members in this war. Now, the U.S. wants this new NCAG committee to take over, but they aren't even fully on the ground yet.
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Dr. Ali Sha’ath has a massive mountain to climb. He’s expected to restore public services in a place where the water pipes are shattered and the electrical grid is non-existent. The "Board of Peace," chaired by Donald Trump, is supposed to mobilize international billions for reconstruction, but nobody is going to spend that money if they think the fighting will just start up again in three months.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ceasefire
The biggest misconception in the news about gaza today is that "ceasefire" means "peace." It doesn't.
It’s more like a violent pause. Just yesterday, there were reports of Israeli strikes in Deir el-Balah that killed several people. Israel says they are responding to "violations" or targeting specific threats; Palestinians see it as the war continuing by other means.
Also, the "withdrawal" isn't total. According to recent satellite data and reports, the IDF still controls about 53% of the Gaza Strip. They’ve created "buffer zones" and security corridors that effectively split the territory. Moving from the south back to the north is still nearly impossible for most displaced families.
The Hostage Situation
We can't talk about the news today without mentioning the final hostages. Part of this "Phase Two" jumpstart is the U.S. demanding the immediate return of the remaining Israeli hostages. The Trump administration has warned of "serious consequences" if this doesn't happen now.
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Hamas, meanwhile, is trying to use those last few people as leverage to ensure they aren't completely wiped out during the "disarmament" phase. It’s a high-stakes poker game where the chips are human lives.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If you’re following this, don't just look at the big political announcements. Watch the following three things over the next week to see if this "Phase Two" is real or just a PR move:
- The Deployment of the International Force: Egypt and Turkey have been mentioned as potential contributors, but Israel is skeptical of Turkish troops. If a neutral "stability force" actually lands in Gaza, that’s a game-changer.
- The "Board of Peace" Meeting: Watch for who actually shows up to the first formal meeting of this board. If names like Marc Rowan (Apollo Global Management) and Ajay Banga (World Bank) are actually moving money, reconstruction might actually start.
- The Border Crossings: Check the truck counts. If the number of aid trucks doesn't double in the next ten days, "Phase Two" is failing before it starts.
The news about gaza today is a story of two worlds: one of high-level diplomatic "roadmaps" and another of a 27-day-old baby freezing in a tent. Until those two worlds acknowledge each other, the "peace" remains a very fragile, very bloody illusion.
Actionable Insights for Following the Crisis:
- Monitor official statements from the NCAG (National Committee for the Administration of Gaza) rather than just general news summaries to see how local governance is actually being implemented.
- Track the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) reports; they are the gold standard for knowing if the famine risk is actually receding or just being managed.
- Follow the updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the functional status of the remaining 11 partially working hospitals, as this is the best indicator of whether the "early recovery" phase of the peace plan is actually working.