Since March 18, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is history. The war continues and with it the killing and destruction, but it seems to be even more intense than before. There is no security for the people in Gaza and even for humanitarian aid workers it is more dangerous than before the agreement.

In addition, the Israeli government completely closed the borders to the Gaza Strip for commercial goods and humanitarian relief deliveries at the beginning of March. Within a very short space of time, the prices of food, medicine, fuel and everyday items have become unaffordable for most Palestinians. Even if the humanitarian community and the UN have used the ceasefire to fill their warehouses, it will only be a few weeks before the general shortage returns.

Since the end of the ceasefire, columns of smoke have once again become part of everyday life in Gaza. Photo: CADUS

No security, nowhere

In the course of the ceasefire, there were also more medical evacuations (MedEvac) from Gaza than ever before. During this time, CADUS was involved almost daily in mass evacuations of patients and their families via Rafah to Egypt, together with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). Now, with the renewed flare-up of fighting, these have come to a complete standstill.

Personal protective equipment is mandatory during the MedEvac missions to ensure a minimum level of safety. Photo: CADUS

The intensity with which the Israeli military is carrying out these attacks is enormous. In addition, many of the mechanisms that provided the civilian population, the UN (United Nations) and humanitarian organizations with minimal protection and some guidance before the ceasefire are no longer in place.

Protection systems overridden

For the population, this includes the lack of a designated “humanitarian zone”. It is true that this zone was repeatedly the target of air strikes in the past and its shape and extent was frequently changed. Nevertheless, there was always a clear difference in the intensity of the fighting inside and outside this zone.

The Palestinians are under enormous pressure. Many of them have had to flee within Gaza several times or have been displaced. Photo: CADUS

The warnings from the Israeli military, which used to regularly precede a widespread attack, are now becoming less frequent. This unpredictability increases the already enormous psychological pressure on the people in Gaza. This also applies, albeit to a different extent, to the UN and relief organizations. The humanitarian notification system for reporting the whereabouts and locations of planned humanitarian operations to the military outside of high-risk areas in order to prevent bombing no longer exists. This development dramatically increases the danger for all people in Gaza and hinders humanitarian work enormously.

Another division?

There are also fears of a renewed division of the Gaza Strip into north and south. This would once again significantly hinder access for humanitarian relief in the north. The Netzarim corridor, a road from the coast to the border created by the Israeli military in October 2023, has been reoccupied in large parts by its forces. For the moment, the coastal road connecting the north and south is still passable. However, movement through this bottleneck has become much more dangerous, both for the population and for international organizations.

The people in Gaza are extremely insecure in the face of the massive attacks, often without warning, and are trying to protect themselves as best they can. Photo: CADUS

The coordination system, through which humanitarian organizations must coordinate their activities with the Israeli military and obtain approval, is still in force here. However, this means an enormous bureaucratic effort, which often ends with a rejection and thus a lack of aid for the people in North Gaza.

Humanitarian relief under attack

In view of the renewed fighting in North Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah, there is great uncertainty. Local emergency organizations such as PRCS are again increasingly the victims of targeted attacks on personnel, vehicles and storage areas. Supposedly protected buildings of international organizations, such as recently the International Red Cross (ICRC) and UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) are being targeted or accidentally hit. The consequence remains the same: dead and injured. How long international organizations can and will continue to work under these conditions is questionable. The consequences of a withdrawal of the humanitarian community would affect the already underserved people in Gaza.

Employees of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and local hospitals are repeatedly subjected to violence. International humanitarians are also attacked, sometimes with fatal results. Photo: CADUS

We will continue our commitment in Gaza until further notice, also at the express request of our team on the ground.

We once again call on the government of Israel to fulfill its obligation to allow unrestricted humanitarian access at all levels in Gaza and to stop the violence against the population, medical personnel and humanitarian workers.