As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deterior by the hour, the area continues to suffer under a tenuous ceasefire that gets breached almost daily. Though the ceasefire began 10 days ago, Israel has been condemned for breaking its terms on no less than 80 counts already. We look at the news agency’s reports that these violations have resulted in the deaths of nearly 80 Palestinians.
The situation would put future peace efforts at an impossible disadvantage as an international technocratic body governed Gaza. This unusual organization is co-chaired by former U.S. President Donald Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This metropolitan planning organization, which services just over a million residents, has adopted a bold 20-point plan to re-energize the region. The reality on the ground is appalling. Emergency access to humanitarian assistance and understandings about the nature of borders in the fractious war-torn area need to be addressed urgently.
Despite the ceasefire, violence erupted again on Sunday when Hamas militants killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting Israel to launch a wave of airstrikes across Gaza. These military actions resulted in the death of 44 Palestinians. This tragic development has heightened concerns about the enforceability of the ceasefire deal.
As we recently noted, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has escalated to catastrophic levels. Aid specialists warn that the population is in dire need of at least 600 truckloads of supplies per day. We know this demand reflects the urgent moment we’re in. Continued restrictions have drastically hampered the access of aid entering the region.
Israel has withheld opening the Rafah crossing, citing Hamas’s failure to adhere to the ceasefire by not returning Israeli hostages’ remains promptly. At first, the Israeli government pledged to halt all humanitarian assistance to Gaza in response to the attack two weeks ago. They soon backtracked on this decision after deeply engaged conversations with U.S. officials.
Israel has pursued a brutal military campaign and besiegement in Gaza. They’ve created “red zones” where Palestinians are prohibited from entering. This initiative has left many residents confused about these boundaries, leading to tragic incidents such as the death of at least 11 Palestinians who unknowingly crossed a boundary line in Gaza City.
The whole area is in ruins. We saw the maps, but we can’t tell where those lines are,” said Samir, a local resident trying to navigate the increasingly hazardous landscape.
With violence on the rise, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including British NGOs, are under increasing threat. As it stands, all supplies are blocked from entering Gaza. This ban further complicates and hampers efforts to alleviate the suffering of civilians trapped in fighting.
The dynamic nature of the context is further highlighted by the different reactions to continuing this war—actually within Hamas. JD Vance, a political analyst, noted, “When we talk about Hamas, you’re talking about 40 different cells. It’s disjointed. Some of those cells will probably honour the ceasefire. Many of those cells, as we saw some evidence of today, will not.”
In a recent statement on the timeline for disarmament expectations in Gaza, Donald Trump remarked, “It’s not a hard timeline, but it’s a line in my own mind. At a certain point, if they don’t do what they’re supposed to do, then we’ll have to do it for them.”
The needs in Gaza are at a catastrophic level. At the same time, the security environment is still extremely volatile. The international community holds its collective breath as attempts to broker a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian assistance have all but crumbled under rising violence.