On Sunday, January 26, it has been a week since the ceasefire in Gaza came into force. The war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for over 15 months and left large parts of Gaza in ruins.
“It has been the worst place for civilians,” says UN humanitarian manager Tom Fletcher in Aktuellt.
According to the ceasefire agreement, at least 600 trucks with emergency aid must be allowed to drive into Gaza every day. So far, that part of the agreement has been held, something that Fletcher highlights as a positive sign.
At the same time, extreme challenges remain for the residents of Gaza who live in the middle of a humanitarian disaster. The UN estimates that over 60 percent of all buildings have been destroyed in the war.
New violence on the West Bank
When the ceasefire began, many Gazabor tried to return to their homes, to discover that they are destroyed. For the UN and other aid organizations, now one of the biggest challenges is to give the residents roof over their heads.
– The first phase of the ceasefire is about saving lives, says Tom Fletcher and continues:
– I have been worried in recent days that we do not have enough tents and shelters.
But it is not just the situation in Gaza that worries the UN chief. On Tuesday, Israel launched a military operation in Jenin at the occupied West Bank. At least ten people have died and hundreds of people have moved from the scene. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X earlier this week that the effort is “another step to achieve security”.
– We see a new front, says Fletcher.
Hear more about the location on the West Bank in the video above.