The second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people was marked by solemn ceremonies among Israelis and their supporters both in the U.S. and internationally. The attack launched by Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamist fundamentalist organization that governs the Gaza Strip, led to approximately 250 hostages taken to Gaza. 48 remain to be released either to freedom or burial by their loved ones. 

That may now happen with October 7, 2025, announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached a tentative deal on a ceasefire, hostage exchange, and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, according to statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump. While senior Palestinian officials expressed cautious optimism about the potential end to hostilities some Palestinian American in Orange County remain skeptical.

Fatana Hakeem, a Palestinian American activist from Orange County, articulated her doubts: “Today’s news of a potential ceasefire is met with profound skepticism. Given Israel’s historical disregard for previous agreements and countless United Nations resolutions, there is little reason to believe this one will be treated with any more respect.”

The day before the announcement, Hakeem and her family participated with members of a group called OC Banner Drop 4 Palestine that displays large pro-Palestinian and pro-human rights banners on overpasses above heavily travelledfreeways. The group displays their banners in Fullerton every Sunday at 2 pm on the 57 Freeway’s Yorba Linda Blvd. bridge. Last Monday, the group was active in Irvine on the 405 Freeway and Michelson Street with two other actions in Santa Ana and Buena Park. 

A decades-long Israeli occupation has been described as brutal by many human rights organizations. Despite an agreement signed by Israel to set aside land in the West Bank for a Palestinian state, that land has been systematically seized by Israeli settlers. This situation escalated when Hamas fighters launched an attack on October 7, 2023. Additionally, Israel maintains a total blockade of the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air, leading to the enclave being referred to as perhaps the world’s largest open-air prison, according to the organization Human Rights Watch.

Israel’s response to the attack has included extensive bombing campaigns that have reportedly targeted civilians and critical infrastructure in Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, including many women and children. The UN reported a famine in Gaza City by August, attributing the crisis to restrictions on humanitarian aid. n all, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

By August 2025, the UN confirmed a famine in Gaza City caused by Israel’s restrictions on aid access. Starvation has become a weapon in a genocide of the Palestinian people according to United Nations officials, and independent reports. 

Hakeem says nothing will stop Netanyahu from reaching his goal of annexing what remains of Palestine and ethnically cleansing the Palestinians. “Such agreements appear to be treated as mere tactical pauses, utilized when convenient and broken when deemed advantageous.”