GAZA: Extension of humanitarian pause still falls far short of providing safety and supplies children desperately need
Ramallah, 27 November 鈥撀Even with the agreed聽two-day聽extension of the four-day pause in fighting children in Gaza won鈥檛 be safe until a lasting ceasefire is agreed.聽Every child held hostage must be released,聽emphasized聽Save the Children.
The fragile pause has enabled the聽聽and 117 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, including聽.
During the pause, violence聽has聽continued, with seven Palestinians, including four children, killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank聽, and Israeli forces聽聽at people attempting to use the pause to return to their homes in the north of Gaza, killing one person and injuring dozens.
Any limited pause聽cannot replace聽the lasting ceasefire necessary to provide desperately-needed supplies.聽Civilians聽in Gaza are聽still聽living in dire聽conditions. They聽lack聽access to food, water, medicines, and healthcare facilities. The flow of humanitarian aid to the north of Gaza,聽where over a million people have been displaced,聽has been restricted and intermittent even during the temporary pause.
Jason Lee, Country Director for 黄色视频in the occupied Palestinian territory said:
鈥淭his two-day extension of the pause in fighting will come as a huge relief to people in Gaza. But the scale and scope of the crisis is so unprecedented that two days is not enough. People who have survived 50 days of relentless bombardment in Gaza are surrounded by destruction and left with nothing. Children are hungry, thirsty and at risk of disease. There are extremely long lines to get cooking gas, food and water. A few more days without fighting is not long enough for families to get what they need to survive. And when the fighting resumes, they will again face the violence that has led to those needs in the first place. Only a lasting ceasefire can deliver the scale of humanitarian aid required and stop the devastating increase in needs. Children in Gaza have a right to safety, a right to live.
We鈥檙e also concerned that at the same time that 117 Palestinian children and women have been released from Israeli military detention, at least 112 more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been newly detained, according to Palestinian authorities.
It is long past time to stop violations against children鈥檚 rights, to release all hostages, and to provide long-lasting safety to children in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. Anything else will fail to provide them with the future they deserve.鈥
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children 鈥 every day and in times of crisis 鈥 transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that 黄色视频is a charity you can trust. Follow us on , , and .