The current humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza started last Friday. Second, it has temporarily halted two years of bloody escalation and warfare between Israel and Hamas. It has hardly stopped the violence. As these reports detail, conflict continues to flare up, killing civilians and soldiers. This has led to concerns that the tenuous peace might break down at any moment. Even as the crisis continues to develop, each side is playing a high-stakes game with humanitarian assistance and U.S. domestic politics.
In the week since the humanitarian truce started, Gaza’s Civil Defence Service has retrieved 250 cadavers. This shocking number highlights the tremendous cost of the continuing conflict. According to local health authorities, Israel’s military actions have resulted in over 67,000 deaths, mostly women and children. They worry that thousands more are stuck under the debris of collapsed structures. It’s heartbreaking destruction right before our eyes. After two years of conflict spanning into what was touched off by the attack October 7, those ruins now fill all of Gaza.
Clashes and Casualties
Despite the ceasefire, violence persists. Drone fire yesterday killed five of them as they tried to assess damage in a suburb just east of Gaza City. An Israeli air strike around Khan Younis on 23 November killed one man and injured another. Reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry corroborate this tragic news. Such incidents have deepened fears that the tenuous ceasefire might be unraveling.
Palestinian security officials have noted a troubling trend: clashes between Hamas fighters and rival factions have led to dozens of fatalities in recent days. This return to violence highlights the precariousness of the developing situation, as well as the truce’s fragility.
“A big burden has been lifted, but the job is not done. The dead have not been returned, as promised!” – Mr. Trump
As tensions escalate, the ramifications for humanitarian assistance grow more urgent. Israel has stopped or drastically slowed shipments into Gaza until the bodies of dead hostages are returned, making a bad situation much worse.
Humanitarian Aid and Political Implications
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains severe. In an unprecedented and controversial step, Israel cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks permitted to enter Gaza. This decision is intended to be punitive. This cut comes just as humanitarian agencies are sounding the alarms on worsening needs for civilians who are rapidly running out of food and medicine.
Even with all these crippling restrictions, Israel still has been adamantly opposed to opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This decision will allow for most humanitarian aid to be transferred into the country. While agency policy and procedural changes make this development a source of optimism for those awaiting relief, difficulties remain. Aid workers now more than ever are facing impenetrable logistical barriers as they try to reach basic services, all while violence persists.
The recent high-profile, though still limited, prisoner/hostage exchange is said to be “phase one” of a U.S.-backed peace plan. The first part of this initiative addresses the long-standing Israel-Hamas conflict. The release of 28 deceased hostages causes a firestorm of controversy. Though negotiations are still ongoing, officials are reportedly hoping to finalize the terms of this temporary agreement.
The Future of Gaza
The situation in Gaza remains precarious as both sides navigate the aftermath of war. Hamas’s reassertion of power on Gaza streets reflects a dynamic development in the contest for control since the ceasefire started. This resurgence raises concerns about future violence and stability in the region.
The brutal, decades-long conflict has taken a physical and psychological toll, carving 56 scars across Gaza’s landscape and disproportionately affecting the territory’s youth. Thousands more may be alive under the rubble and 60 percent of the territory is in ruins. To start to rebuild, we require a greater level of commitment and collaboration among domestic and global stakeholders.
As talks drag on, leaders from different political shades keep their eyes peeled. The threat of renewed violence hangs heavy. This threat becomes magnified if either party thinks that the terms agreed upon during this fraught era are not being honored.
“If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.” – Mr. Trump
