The Gaza war was the spark that touched off years of Middle East conflict, culminating in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Still, as Washington and Tehran wrangle over terms for peace, the devastated territory's fate seems largely out of mind.
"Ever since the United States went to war with Iran, the whole world has forgotten Gaza and its tragedy. We no longer have anyone standing by us," Palestinian Ahmed Jamali, 53, told AFP from the displacement camp in Gaza where he lives.
"We are weak and oppressed, and Israel is doing whatever it wants: killing, destroying, and occupying Gaza, while no one in the world lifts a finger."
The apparent inattention paid to Gaza is all the more striking because it sits at the heart of the chain of events that plunged the region into its most dangerous confrontation in decades.
What began as a local war between Israel and Hamas evolved into a regional conflict and, in turn, a confrontation between arch-foes Tehran and Washington.
More than two-and-a-half years later, Gaza remains mired in a severe humanitarian crisis. Despite a fragile ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October 2025, efforts to bring the war to a definitive end have stalled for months.
Although Iranian officials initially spoke of an agreement to end the Middle East war that would encompass the entire region, the preliminary text endorsed by Tehran and Washington last month contains no mention of Gaza.
For analysts, that shows a shift in regional priorities.
"It reflects Hamas's declining strategic value in Iran's eyes," Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations told AFP.
Iran has long helped Hamas as part of its "axis of resistance" -- an array of regional forces opposed to Israel and the US -- but the October 2023 attack appears to have fundamentally altered that relationship.
- Cairo talks -
Behind the scenes, negotiations over Gaza's future continue in Cairo.
The talks bring together Palestinian factions, including Hamas, alongside the Board of Peace set up by US President Donald Trump and regional players including Qatar and Turkey.
"Trump may want to give this process a chance," said a source close to the negotiations.
"Whether it succeeds remains to be seen."
Although few details have emerged publicly, diplomatic and security sources told AFP that negotiators are working on a roadmap combining the gradual disarmament of Hamas with the creation of transitional governing authorities for Gaza.
Israeli media have reported that the government would reject such a framework.
"For now, this diplomatic process exists only around the negotiating table," Lovatt said.
"There has been progress, but reconstruction remains a distant prospect, and nothing is changing for the people on the ground."
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