The US and Iranian governments have agreed to a two-week ceasefire following 40 days of conflict, with talks set to begin on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan. However, this agreement has failed to bring peace to the Gaza Strip, where Israeli military operations persist, highlighting the ongoing regional instability.
Despite a declared "ceasefire" in Gaza six months ago, Israel has violated the agreement thousands of times, with attacks occurring on a near-daily basis. Over the past 40 days, Israel has bombarded Gaza on 36 occasions, meaning only four days were free of violence. From February 28 to April 8, Israeli attacks killed at least 107 people and injured 342 others, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
Since the onset of what has been described as a genocidal war on Gaza, at least 10% of the strip's population has been killed or injured. More than 72,000 individuals, predominantly women and children, have been killed, with 172,000 injured and thousands more buried under rubble and presumed dead. On Wednesday, as the world anticipated a pause in hostilities between the US, Israel, and Iran, Israel killed another journalist in Gaza – Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Wiswash in a targeted drone strike, raising concerns about press freedom and civilian safety.
Israel has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis by closing all crossings into Gaza, halting the transfer of wounded patients abroad and suspending medical evacuations. The closure of the Rafah crossing, Gaza's sole gateway to the outside world, has stranded over 18,500 critical patients, including 4,000 children, in need of urgent care. Only 8% of the agreed number of patients have been permitted to leave for treatment since February 28, according to the Gaza Media Office.
Restrictions on food and medical supplies have deepened severe shortages, with the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) reporting that 77% of Gaza's population faces high levels of acute food insecurity. Israel has allowed only 4,999 of the 23,400 trucks stipulated in the ceasefire agreement into the strip – merely one-fifth of the promised deliveries – intensifying hunger and suffering among civilians.
Source: www.aljazeera.com