"The announcement of the ceasefire brought profound relief, shaded by an equally deep sense of trepidation. Almost a month later, the picture looks bleaker. The Israeli offensive abated, Hamas has returned the surviving hostages and the remains of some of those who have died, and Israel has released some Palestinian detainees and the remains of others. But more than 200 Palestinians, including children, have reportedly died in strikes that Israel says are in response to Hamas attacks."
"Thousands of bodies are still believed to be trapped beneath the ruins debris which, it is estimated, would take a fleet of more than a hundred lorries seven years to shift. Aid is flowing again, but remains wholly inadequate, with NGOs warning that Israel's new registration system is obstructing delivery. Israeli demolitions continue in the half of Gaza that its forces still hold. Unicef warned this week that the education system in so far as it survives after two years of war and the destruction of more than 90% of school and university buildings is on the brink of collapse."
A ceasefire produced temporary relief but conditions in Gaza have worsened. Military operations have eased but strikes continue to kill civilians and many bodies remain under rubble. Massive destruction has left schools, universities, hospitals, and homes unusable, and new births occur amid ruins without functioning health facilities. Aid deliveries have resumed but are insufficient and face administrative obstacles that impede distribution. Demolitions persist in areas under Israeli control, further undermining prospects for rebuilding. Mediators are exploring arrangements for fighters and stabilisation, while the territory risks sliding into a limbo of no war, no peace that prevents reconstruction.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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