GAZA, (PIC)
Despite weeks passing since the announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to delay fulfilling its commitments outlined in the humanitarian protocol, threatening to worsen the humanitarian disaster in the beleaguered enclave.
Since the onset of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israel has imposed a suffocating blockade on the enclave and conducted its military operations with brutality, resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
As international efforts to secure a ceasefire continued, discussions were accompanied by essential humanitarian demands, including the entry of aid, the securing of safe areas, and the release of prisoners according to an agreed-upon humanitarian protocol within a broader framework that encompasses a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal. However, Israel has systematically stalled the implementation of this protocol, leading to worsening conditions and delaying any comprehensive settlement.
Numbers point to catastrophic conditions
According to field reports, the number of trucks that entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began on January 19 until February 1 reached 8,251 trucks, but only 35% of this aid reached northern Gaza, where tens of thousands of displaced people suffer from dire living conditions.
While the Gaza Strip needs 120,000 tents to shelter the displaced, only 10,000 tents have arrived, half of which are from the United Nations and Egypt.
The fuel crisis is also worsening, with only 730,000 liters entering, while Gaza requires a continuous daily flow to maintain minimal economic and service activity, amid the shutdown of most vital facilities due to severe energy shortages.
Infrastructure at risk
In a region suffering from extensive destruction, Israel has only allowed four units of heavy equipment to enter, not for clearing rubble or rescuing victims, but for maintaining the Rafah border crossing! In contrast, over 85% of water wells are destroyed, and restoring 100 wells in northern Gaza requires $5 million, an amount barely equivalent to the cost of a television advertisement in the outside world.
Political analyst Wissam Afifa asserts that the occupation not only violates the terms of the humanitarian protocol but also redefines oppression as a daily policy, while the guaranteeing mediators stand at a safe distance to ensure the continued release of the Israeli captives.
He questions, “Will the release of Israeli captives continue while the people of Gaza remain prisoners of hunger, displacement, and oppression?”
Israeli delaying tactics threaten prisoner exchange agreement
Alongside the stalled entry of aid, the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, is set to deliver the names of Israeli captives scheduled for release tomorrow, Saturday, in the fifth exchange batch.
In this context, political analyst Iyad Al-Qara points out that just hours before the Qassam Brigades delivers the names of the new batch of prisoners scheduled for release tomorrow, the Israeli occupation has not adhered to the agreed-upon humanitarian protocol, particularly regarding the entry of mobile homes, tents, equipment needed for rubble removal, hospital rehabilitation, and fuel provision, which increases the suffering of citizens and the displaced amid the harsh winter.
Hamas calls on mediators to pressure Israel
Hamas has called on mediators, especially Egypt and Qatar, to intervene and pressure Israel to ensure the implementation of the agreement, at a time when Israel continues its delays in fulfilling its humanitarian commitments.
In light of this stagnation, Hamas has urged mediators, particularly Egypt and Qatar, to intervene and pressure Israel to ensure the agreement’s implementation.
According to experts, Israel is using humanitarian aid as a means of political pressure, threatening to undermine efforts to establish calm and complete prisoner exchange deals.
Amid these developments, questions are rising about the seriousness of mediators in pressing Israel to fulfill its commitments. Can the international community compel Israel to adhere to the humanitarian protocol, or will the residents of Gaza remain prisoners of political bargaining and victims of the genocide being perpetrated by Israel?
