Aid organisations Tearfund and Christian Aid have welcomed the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, although both are concerned that a failure to establish a lasting peace agreement will simply mean the cycle of violence will resume at a later date.
The ceasefire agreement was brokered by US President Donald Trump and was approved by the Israeli cabinet. Under the deal Israeli Defence Force (IDF) units will pull back to agreed lines and aid will be permitted to flow more freely into Gaza.
During the conflict, which has been raging for two years, Israel has been accused by aid organisations of using aid as a weapon of war. Huge areas of Gaza have been destroyed, and some parts of the territory are reported to be in a state of famine.
It is believed over 80,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority civilians.
Part of the ceasefire deal revolves around the return of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Thousands of Israelis civilians were killed in the terrorist attack, which prompted a severe response from the Israeli government. Israel will also return Palestinian prisoners to Hamas.
Safa Hijazeen, Tearfund’s regional director for the Middle East said, “Tearfund welcomes news of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, but it’s only the beginning and it must be followed by immediate action.
"Israel must allow a flood of aid to enter Gaza freely and the hostages must be allowed home. The international community must ensure that both parties are held to the agreement and that the ceasefire turns into a lasting peace.
“For the millions of people who’ve endured relentless bombardment and conflict, a ceasefire must not be just a pause, it must lead to lasting peace. It cannot be enough just for people in the region to exist without immediate fear of death; life in all its fullness must be restored.”
These sentiments were echoed by William Bell, Head of Middle East Policy & Advocacy at Christian Aid, who warned, “Returning to the old status quo will doom Palestinians and Israelis to more tragedy.”
The current conflict is just the latest in a long line of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Since 2008 there have been four notable military conflicts in Gaza, although the most recent has been by far the bloodiest.
