Three Years After October 7: Israeli Expansionism and the Ongoing Crisis in Gaza

Three years after October 7, Mohamad Hamas Elmasry examines how Israeli expansionism continues unabated in the region. When the ceasefire was signed last October, Israel controlled about 53% of Gaza, but it has used the ceasefire period as a chance to expand further. This week, as the world prepared to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

A ceasefire was already reached in Gaza nearly one year ago, yet Guterres’s call underscores a grim reality: little has fundamentally changed since the October 2025 ceasefire was signed. The intensity of Israel’s onslaught on Gaza has declined from the horrific heights of 2023, 2024, and 2025, but the tiny enclave remains under assault. The “ceasefire” has not stopped Israel from firing, and Gazans still hear the constant buzzing of drones and endure daily bombings. Since last year’s ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the overall Palestinian death toll to over 74,000 while Gaza remains largely in ruins.

Shocking Google Maps images released in late September show the extent of the destruction, with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reporting that Israeli bombardment has destroyed or damaged 82% of buildings in Gaza, totaling 134,422 completely destroyed structures. B’Tselem has documented Israel’s “deliberate devastation” of Gaza, including water and sanitation infrastructure. Displaced Palestinians live in tent communities plagued by rats, scorpions, and disease, while the UN reports that Israel continues to restrict essential humanitarian aid and life-saving medicines.

With the world distracted by the U.S.-Iran war, Israel has extended its control to nearly 70% of the Strip. In late September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry warned that Israel appeared intent “to establish permanent control” over Gaza, and in August 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel’s refusal to withdraw. This policy dovetails with the West Bank expansion program described by Amnesty International as “ethnic cleansing,” alongside expanded military presence in Lebanon and Syria in pursuit of a “Greater Israel.”

The United States remains Israel’s most important backer, with President Donald Trump expressing unwavering support. Trump launched the “Board of Peace” in January, yet the board has watched daily ceasefire violations and adopted Israeli positions. Meanwhile, organizations such as Amnesty International, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, B’Tselem, and Physicians for Human Rights have concluded that Israel’s actions amount to genocide, as the world awaits a final ruling from the International Court of Justice.