For 15 months we have watched unspeakable atrocities in this war with horror. At least 64,260 Palestinians and hundreds of humanitarian aid workers have been killed[1] in attacks that flagrantly violate international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Caritas Internationalis and Caritas MONA welcome the announcement of this long-overdue ceasefire as a step towards long-lasting peace in the region.
The level of devastation is enormous and it is crucial that the humanitarian community acts swiftly, decisively and at scale to stop any more lives being lost and help people in Gaza rebuild their lives in dignity. Israel must grant rapid, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access to allow for a well-coordinated, scaled-up and principled humanitarian response to address the vast needs of the affected communities.
The ceasefire announcement comes just before two laws in Israel banning UNRWA are due to come into force at the end of January. UNRWA remains the backbone of relief efforts, not only in Gaza and the West Bank but in the entire region. Humanitarian aid organizations, especially local organizations on the front lines, rely heavily on UNRWA’s presence, infrastructure and coordination. UNRWA’s continued, unimpeded operation is absolutely essential in this delicate phase.
“We are deeply concerned that, Israel continued bombing Gaza indiscriminately after the ceasefire was announced, killing more Palestinian civilians just as hope dawns. This undermines the spirit of the agreement which is needed so urgently and expected to take effect on Sunday” said Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis.
We urge all the parties to respect the terms of the agreed deal, immediately stop the bloodshed, and prevent further violence and forced displacement of civilians.
We also urge the international community to use its influence to ensure the agreement is sustained, international law is respected, and obstacles to humanitarian assistance are removed immediately to allow the vital flow of aid and saving lives.
We call upon the international community to ensure that those responsible for the grave violations and abuses, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, are held accountable for their actions. The ceasefire must not only bring about a lasting cessation of hostilities but also a firm commitment to international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Caritas is ready to scale up its response to the enormous needs in Gaza and help people begin the long process of rebuilding their lives in dignity.
Karam Yazbeck, Caritas MONA regional coordinator emphasised “While the agreement is a sign of hope, only time will tell if it will lead to lasting peace by addressing the root causes of this decades-long conflict and pursue a just resolution in accordance.
[1] Traumatic injury mortality in the Gaza Strip from Oct 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024: a capture–recapture analysis