The United Nations, United States, and Canada have appealed for a “humanitarian pause” in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as the health and safety of civilians in the Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate. The call for a pause comes amid increasing international pressure for unimpeded aid deliveries to Gaza, where civilians are in desperate need of food, water, medicine, and electricity.
In the two-week-long siege led by Israel, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed, marking the highest 24-hour death toll since the conflict began, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled coastal territory. U.N. agencies are now pleading for emergency aid to be let into Gaza unimpeded, as the narrow strip’s 2.3 million people are in dire need of support amid widespread devastation from Israel’s aerial blitz.
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 24. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Despite the appeals, the Israeli military has reaffirmed that it will bar the entry of fuel to prevent Hamas from seizing it. This decision has led to a severe shortage of fuel in Gaza, leaving hospitals unable to treat the injured and ill. More than 40 medical centres have halted operations, and doctors are reporting signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation.
In addition to the call for a humanitarian pause, there have also been calls for a ceasefire. However, there appears to be little prospect of this happening anytime soon, with both sides continuing to engage in deadly clashes. Israel has stated that it is working to protect civilians while ensuring they “will no longer live under Hamas tyranny.”
Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, gather to get their share of charity food offered by volunteers, amid food shortages, at a UN-run school where they take refuge, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 24. REUTERS/Mahmoud al-Masri
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has echoed the calls for humanitarian pauses, stating, “There are a lot of conversations going on now about the need for humanitarian pauses, and I think that’s something Canada supports. We must remain anchored on the priorities of protecting innocent (people) and freeing the hostages.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also spoken about the need for a pause, telling the UN Security Council that “Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas. It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.”
Israel has said it is preparing for a ground war in Gaza. Andrew Chang explains the signs that Israel is ramping up and what it’s weighing before it goes in.
In the midst of this humanitarian crisis, efforts are being made to evacuate foreign nationals, including hundreds of Canadians, from Gaza. However, after weeks of planning, there is still no concrete path towards evacuating Canadians in Gaza through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. Officials have said that when a window for exits opens, it will likely be for a short period of time and require a massive multinational effort.
As the situation continues to unfold, the world watches and waits, hoping for a resolution that will bring an end to the suffering of the people in Gaza.
