Gaza: The failed promises of two ceasefires

The current ceasefire in Gaza has now reached the two-month mark - the same point the January ceasefire reached earlier this year. I was in Gaza during both, and from my vantage point as the Country Director of CARE West Bank & Gaza, the contrast between them is striking.

The January ceasefire

The previous ceasefire came into effect on January 10, 2025, after months of daily bombardments that had killed at least 45,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza's infrastructure. Nearly two million people had been forced to flee their homes and were displaced repeatedly, with no access to proper shelter. Women and girls bore the brunt of the crisis. When food is scarce, they eat last and least.

The needs were immense, but as the ceasefire took hold, life-saving supplies began trickling in from Egypt, Jordan and the West Bank. I recall standing in a warehouse in Gaza with one of Palestinian partners, MA'AN Development Center, surveying the pallets of tents, bedding, food, baby formula, medicine, hygiene kits and bottled water - all ready for us to distribute to those most in need, including those who were displaced or had no home to return to.

The situation was not without challenges - Israel had, for example, since 2008 banned the entry of certain "dual-use" items, including water pumps and some construction and sanitation materials - but overall, aid agencies could bring in supplies, albeit well below the required quantities. CARE and local partners scaled up rapidly, reaching 4,500 people in Gaza City with shelter support before the ceasefire ended two months later.

The current ceasefire: A different context

When the first ceasefire collapsed in March, Israeli authorities aggressively renewed their attacks on Gaza and imposed a full siege, allowing no humanitarian aid in for 85 days. The entire population was trapped without adequate shelter, healthcare, water or food as bombs fell around them. By August, more than half a million people were experiencing a man-made famine. By October, 78% of all buildings were damaged or destroyed. Neighborhoods I had visited in March were nothing but rubble.

This was the context in which the current ceasefire came into effect-and with it, the expectation that aid would once again flow.

That expectation has not been met.

Humanitarian access: The defining difference

When the latest ceasefire began on October 10, it provided more humanitarian space than during the bombardment - but far less than during the first ceasefire, and far less than what is required for impactful relief.

Israeli authorities have opened only three border crossings, with two on alternating schedules, and continue to block or severely restrict tents, sealing kits, cooking gas, medical supplies and hygiene kits. Rafah crossing remains closed.

CARE has approximately 790,000 USD of life-saving supplies, including shelter items, mother and baby-kits, and dignity and hygiene kits, pre-positioned in Egypt, Jordan and the West Bank. Like most international aid agencies, our requests to bring this vital aid into Gaza continue to be denied.

What is entering Gaza today is mostly commercial, not humanitarian, and is priced far beyond what families can afford.

When aid trucks pass, people cheer. The depth of need-and the scarcity of supplies-is written in those reactions.

Life inside Gaza

Two months into this ceasefire, Gaza feels heavier.

I look out over rows of tents pitched on sand patched with cloth, plastic, or scraps of tarp. It does little to keep out the winter weather. When the rain came in November, a colleague, a recent widow with two small children, watched floodwater mixed with sewage pour through her tent.

More than a million people live within meters of exposed sewage. Water and sanitation systems are barely functioning, and the parts needed to repair them are restricted. Disease spreads quickly in these conditions, overwhelming healthcare facilities already on the brink.

Only 18 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are even partially functioning, and due to restrictions, they face severe shortages of antibiotics, IV fluids, anaesthesia, surgical supplies and essential drugs for chronic conditions. Patients who would normally recover are deteriorating.

Malnutrition is worsening these outcomes. During the previous ceasefire, acute malnutrition among children under five dropped from 17% to 2.7%. The number of children in Gaza being admitted for acute malnutrition treatment is currently one of the highest on record and five times higher than during the previous ceasefire.

We know what is possible in Gaza

CARE and our partners remain resolute in reaching more people despite the bureaucratic obstacles limiting access to aid. Juzoor runs a specialist maternal health clinic from our Primary Healthcare Centre in Deir al Balah, and we support them - along with other partners like the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) - to operate medical points across Gaza, many of which were damaged or destroyed in the weeks before this ceasefire began. As soon as the pause was announced, our partners returned to the north to rebuild clinics and restore access to healthcare for their communities.

Two ceasefires. Same length. Two profoundly different realities. In January, the aid that entered Gaza met only a small fraction of the need. This time, the needs are even greater, and access is drastically worse.

Israel, as the occupying power, has a legal obligation to facilitate the delivery of aid. All border crossings must be opened, and restrictions on life-saving supplies must be lifted immediately. Third States have a responsibility to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected. They must also double down on efforts to ensure Israel allows aid to flow into Gaza.

Until that happens, this ceasefire will not deliver on its promise to offer the safety and dignity that families in Gaza are entitled to. Preventable deaths, especially of women and young children, will continue. There are approximately 55,000 pregnant women in Gaza who will need improved care in the months ahead, including dignified shelter that offers privacy, safety and warmth, and nutritious food.

Gaza: How you can help

Since the conflict broke out in October 2023, CARE has reached more than 995,000 people in Gaza. We've supported women to give birth and care for their children, and provided sanitary products, alongside emergency food and water supplies.

We know how to operate in Gaza, and we've been saving lives under these conditions for over two years. Public donations are the backbone of our response in Gaza, allowing us to move quickly, even when we only have very short windows of opportunity to get aid in. It is quite literally a lifeline.

Please stand with the people of Gaza - together we can save lives.