(Photo by UN Women via Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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On January 15, 2025, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal that included in its first phase the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the entry of aid into the enclave, and a prisoner exchange. On January 19, the ceasefire took effect, specifying a pause in fighting and the release of some prisoners. The ceasefire has undoubtedly brought some relief to the people of Gaza, who have been victims of Israel’s genocide over the past 15 months.
In the weeks leading up to the ceasefire agreement, Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza. It wiped out residential units and targeted civilians inside their tents, on the streets, and in marketplaces while searching for food and standing in line to fill up their water gallons. Even in the last days and hours preceding the ceasefire, the situation was so dire that the chances of death were higher than that of survival.
The Ceasefire: How Did It Feel?
Once in effect, this long-overdue ceasefire brought a long-lost feeling of safety, even if fragile, after months in which terror and fear have defined people’s lives. Many people finally had the chance to find their devastated homes, bury their loved ones, or visit each other to offer condolences. Other people felt safe walking freely through the streets and spending time at the beautiful beaches along the Strip.
Most significant was the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim corridor, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the remains of their homes in north Gaza. As they reunited with their loved ones after months of separation, Palestinian people sent a message of defiance that their belonging to the land was unshakable. As a displaced person told Al-Jazaeera: “We the Palestinians are the rightful owners of this land. We will not budge. Our resolve cannot be dented. We sacrificed 50,000 lives and 110,000 wounded over the past 15 months alone. We sacrificed our homes, schools, hospitals and entire infrastructure, but we will not budge.”
However, people’s remarkable resilience and the festive mood that accompanied their return to the north do not overshadow the continued suffering in this war-torn enclave. Just this week, Gaza authorities revised the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza to nearly 62,000 as they found thousands of missing people dead. This number is still likely to increase.
The war on Gaza has created unerasable moments of pain and loss. How can 470 days of relentless bombardment, mass displacement, famine, disease, and many forms of oppression ever be forgotten? “For Palestinians who have lost countless loved ones, in many cases, had their entire families wiped out or seen their homes reduced to rubble, an end to the fighting does not begin to repair their shattered lives or heal their trauma,” stated Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. The upcoming days and weeks will reveal further human, socio-economic, and environmental implications of the genocide.
The Genocide’s Implications are Countless
With the damage to sewage networks, hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of untreated sewage flow into Gaza’s sea, including the remnants of explosives. This not only aggravates the ongoing water scarcity and sanitation crisis but also threatens marine life. Another stark image of suffering is Israel’s destruction of the sewage lines connected to the Sheikh Radwan pond, the largest rainwater collection site in Gaza City. Rainwater is already overflowing the pond because fuel shortages and damaged pumping stations prevent its discharge into the sea. Sewage now fills the pond and renders it at risk of flooding, with contaminated water submerging many houses.
The crisis also severely compromised air quality in Gaza, forcing residents to inhale toxic pollutants such as gunpowder, phosphorus, and demolition dust. Residents also breathe in firewood smoke from cooking and heating, a necessity due to restrictions on gas entry. These toxins have contaminated water, soil, and air, posing grave health threats, including respiratory infections and birth defects. The greenhouse gas emissions released from these pollutants will also lead to a rise in temperatures, further worsening the climate crisis in Gaza.
The genocide has resulted in widespread destruction to all aspects of life in Gaza. Israel has obliterated all universities and rendered 90% of schools inoperable. But this goes beyond destroying educational buildings. “Education is not just about acquiring skills; it is also about developing self-understanding, collective identity, social unity, and moving forward together,” and this is “what is being deliberately destroyed in Gaza,” said Farida Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.
The health sector is on the brink of collapse, with the genocide rendering 22 out of 38 hospitals across Gaza “non-functional.” Israeli forces stormed into, bombed, and set on fire many of Gaza’s hospitals, including Kamal Adwan and al-Shifa hospitals, practicing a “pattern of destruction.” Doctors had to remove many infants from incubators, while patients with chronic diseases lost access to essential care. The health sector is operating at a limited capacity, as severe shortages of medical supplies overwhelm hospitals and create struggles in providing necessary care to patients.
The Situation is Still Foggy
Through this genocidal war, Israel sought to make Gaza unlivable, forcing Palestinians to believe they had no choice but to leave their land. Repeated rhetoric has claimed that Gaza’s reconstruction would take up to 15 years, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump, whose repugnant proposal of displacing Gazans to Jordan and Egypt and taking over the enclave echoes these sentiments.
Instead of prioritizing reconstruction, peace, and granting Palestinians the right to self-determination, efforts are now being concentrated on deepening the hardship in Gaza, as if the genocide was not enough. And until now, Israel has been obstructing the flow of aid and essentials like tents and shelters, which is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Enough is Enough
The situation in Gaza is critical, and more must be done to alleviate the pain and address the staggering humanitarian crisis people have been enduring. The ceasefire should ultimately lead to an end to this genocide, and the international community should leave no stone unturned to force Israel to stop treating Palestinians as subhumans and allow the entry of aid, including all materials needed for reconstruction.
As for the so-called “day after” on who should be ruling the Gaza Strip, this should be a time for unity for all Palestinians. Political factions must set aside their differences and work collaboratively to put things back on track in Gaza. This can start with, even if temporarily, establishing the proposed Community Support Committee. This committee would comprise non-partisan technocrat figures managing critical sectors like health, education, economy, agriculture, and public services.
Importantly, the ceasefire does not bring an end to the roots of suffering in Gaza and Palestine as a whole, namely occupation. Therefore, efforts must continue to force Israel to abide by international law and end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian Territories, including lifting the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Last but not least, the genocide in Gaza should not bring things back to scratch. The sacrifices of people should serve as a foundation for building a future where Palestinians can live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their human rights and regaining autonomy over all aspects of their lives. It is time for this nightmare to be over.
Edited by Light Naing
