Palestinian Women and Children Face Continued Risks Post Ceasefire
It’s been 75 years and 65 days of genocide and despite the call for a cease-fire on the people of Palestine in Gaza, there are still repeated bombings reported in the area.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes on houses and buildings killed at least 178 people in the first hours of fighting after a weeklong truce ended on Friday, December 1, 2023. Israel claimed to have struck over 200 Hamas targets but the people on the ground in Gaza have reported that over 700 Palestinians have been killed or martyred in less than 24 hours after the end of the ceasefire.
Qatar, the cease-fire mediator, said efforts to renew the truce, which saw Israel halt most military activity in Gaza and release 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for militants freeing over 100 hostages held in Gaza, are still ongoing.
Based on reports, Hamas agreed to release 110 people from Gaza during the seven-day ceasefire, including 78 Israeli women and children. As part of the agreement, 240 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons. They had been charged with everything from throwing stones to incitement and attempted murder.
Many of those released had not been convicted of any crimes and were being held on remand awaiting trial. Following the 7 October attacks, some reported they were subjected to abuse and collective punishment. Israel however, claims that all of its detainees are held in accordance with the law.
But how long will it take for the gross violations of human rights to be acknowledged and the people of Palestine are not on the brink of an ethnic cleansing?
For instance, over 17000+ Palestinians have been killed since the attack on October 7 and over two-thirds of them are women and minors. More than three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign, resulting in a humanitarian crisis due to widespread shortages of food, water, and other supplies.
Speaking to BBC from a hospital in southern Gaza, James Elder from UNICEF reported that the situation has been terrifying after the bombing began. He described the situation as "horrendous for people" and said he could "see the fear on their faces," adding that a strike had occurred near the facility he was in. He called the end of the ceasefire "the nightmare that everyone dreaded."
There is also an increase in food insecurity with shortage of food affecting distribution and increasing malnutrition in children On December 8, 2023, World Food Programme's (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau describes what he saw on the ground from inside Gaza. He reported that their employees are in danger and there is food insecurity, with an inability to distribute the aid that they have. He also stated that a humanitarian cease-fire is a necessity.
With only 10 per cent of necessary food supplies entering Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, the Strip now faces a massive food gap and widespread hunger, with nearly the entire population in desperate need of food assistance, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Food and water supplies are practically non-existent in Gaza, with only a fraction of what is required arriving through the borders.
"With winter on the way, unsafe and overcrowded shelters, and a lack of clean water, civilians face the immediate threat of starvation," said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. "With only one operational border crossing, it is impossible to meet current hunger needs." The only way to save lives in Gaza is to open another safe passage for humanitarian aid."
Fuel shortages have effectively halted bread production in all 130 bakeries in Gaza. Bread, a staple food in Gaza, is either scarce or non-existent.
The United Nations have also been reported to give the children in Gaza toys that look like food instead of actual food according to a tweet by @MuhammadSmiry on X. At least over 1 million people require food assistance in the next coming weeks.
World Human Rights Day was just celebrated on December 10, 2023, the world leaders need to come in solidarity and acknowledge the horrors the people of Palestine are facing. This conflict has strained Gaza's close-knit society, which has endured decades of conflict, four wars with Israel, and a 16-year blockade since Hamas took power from rival Palestinian forces.