With News Of A Deal, Humanitarians Stand Ready To Surge Aid Into Gaza

While much of the world cautiously celebrated Wednesday’s announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian workers who have spent the past two years struggling to provide life-saving aid to Palestinians say they are ready to immediately send aid to the war-torn region and prevent more deaths.

As part of the interim agreement, Hamas plans to soon release all surviving hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinians in Israeli captivity. The Israeli army will begin withdrawing from large parts of Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble.

“This is a chance for people forced into the most depraved conditions and circumstances to stabilize, grieve, and reconnect with their communities.” Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D’Oyen McKenna said:He added that the aid group has enough humanitarian aid for more than 160,000 people along the Gaza border.

Israel will also reopen five crossings, initially allowing 400 aid trucks to pass through per day, then increasing the number to 600, the minimum number of trucks recommended by the United Nations.

“We and our partners are preparing to move now. We have the expertise, distribution networks and community relationships necessary to make the move.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said:. “The supplies are ready and our teams are ready. We can increase food, water, medical and shelter aid at the same time.

“But to turn the ceasefire into real progress, we need more than silencing the guns,” he continued. “We need full, safe and continuous access for humanitarian workers, the removal of red tape and barriers, and the rebuilding of shelter infrastructure.”

The UN has approximately 170,000 metric tons of food, shelter, medicine and other supplies in storage outside Gaza, ready to enter the region by trucks as soon as a ceasefire is implemented, according to Olga Cherevko of the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).

Israel’s military offensive over the past two years (which many credible groups now call genocide) has destroyed Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, sewage system, farmland and bakeries, schools, cultural and religious institutions, and more than 90% of homes. With Israel blocking most aid, Palestinians face hunger, disease and death.

“Homes are in ruins, livelihoods destroyed and families torn apart. Beyond the devastation experienced by doctors, deep psychological scars now threaten both the present and the future,” said Amroo Al-Zeer, Project HOPE’s senior protection officer in Gaza.

Al-Zeer continued: “This tragedy cannot be expressed in statistics alone; it is defined by profound human suffering that requires urgent global action before the last vestiges of hope are destroyed.” “Recovering from this level of trauma will require years, possibly a generation, of ongoing mental health and psychosocial support.”

Humanitarian experts have long warned that even if a ceasefire is achieved, rebuilding Gaza would be a Herculean effort that would require international support and accountability “to prevent impunity and ensure that the cycle of violence is not repeated.” According to Oxfam America President Abby Maxman.

“The path forward must be Palestinian-led and based on the fulfillment of fundamental rights,” he said. “Negotiations on the future of Gaza must go beyond bricks and mortar; they must rebuild the foundations of daily life, rebuild shattered communities, and offer pathways to recovery and hope.”

The Israeli government is expected to finalize the deal on Thursday before it heads to Egypt for approval; But humanitarian workers, Palestinians on the ground and health officials say Israel continues to shell northern Gaza as of Thursday morning. Many Palestinians in Gaza, including aid workers, hopeful but skepticalGiven Israel’s history of breaking similar ceasefires.

“A permanent ceasefire is needed and this news is welcomed, but hard to believe. One hour the team is living at war and the next hour they are supposedly at peace,” said a Palestinian team member of Mercy Corps, who asked not to be named for their safety.

“This news revives hope for the future, but it does not bring back the lives lost and the homes destroyed in this senseless violence. Where there is hope, there is equally deep pain and fatigue.”