Why ceasefires haven’t stopped deadly strikes in Gaza, Lebanon or the Gulf

Middle East ConflictWhy ceasefires haven’t stopped deadly strikes in Gaza, Lebanon or the Gulf“It seems that the term ceasefire no longer really has any kind of operational meaning,” one analyst told NBC News, as ceasefire deals fail to halt conflicts across the Middle East.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleU.S. military strikes Iranian military sites, drones01:20Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 6, 2026, 12:00 PM EDTBy Freddie ClaytonAcross the Middle East, three separate ceasefire deals are currently in effect. In all three, deadly strikes are still a frequent occurrence.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The contradiction has exposed a growing question: What does a ceasefire actually mean when the fighting never fully stops?On Wednesday, President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that promises to stop fighting in the region cannot always be trusted, as he addressed the continued exchanges of fire with Iran in the Gulf.“It’s a different part of the world, you know,” he told reporters. “I’d say in that part of the world a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”The same day Trump made his comments, Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least nine Palestinians overnight, according to local hospitals in Gaza, where a ceasefire deal has been in place since October as part of a peace plan brokered by Trump.While the heaviest fighting has subsided, Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fired on Palestinians, killing more than 936 since the agreement took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of breaching the ceasefire and their commitments under the agreement.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that he would like Israel to increase its control over territory in Gaza, despite a stipulation in the peace plan that the Israeli...