“The beginning of a ceasefire in Gaza today offers a crucial moment of hope for millions who have endured unimaginable hardship. Yet, while it brings a chance to save lives, the scale of the crisis cannot be overstated, and the challenges ahead are immense.
Fifteen months of conflict have left Gaza in the grip of a catastrophic hunger crisis, with families facing a daily struggle for survival amid shattered infrastructure and the collapse of essential services like food, water, and healthcare. Children, who have borne the brunt of this devastation, remain at acute risk as conditions have accelerated towards famine conditions. Nearly every family has been displaced, and the destruction has eroded the foundations of basic law and order.
The terms of the ceasefire include plans to scale up aid deliveries, but even hundreds of trucks per day would fall far short of what is needed to meet the staggering levels of need. Without the reopening of all available border crossings and the restoration of vital infrastructure, it will be impossible to deliver aid at the scale required to save lives.
This ceasefire must signal the end of relentless destruction and human suffering, and the start of a new chapter focused on meaningful action to help Gazans rebuild their lives. In this next phase, civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected from continued bombing, and aid must flow freely and without obstruction, in line with international law. Immediate relief must be coupled with a commitment to long-term solutions that tackle the root causes of this crisis, strengthen resilience, and ensure families are never forced to endure such devastating hardship again.”