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SvennoJ on 16 January 2025
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Ceasefire deal said to include allowing 600 truckloads of aid into Gaza each day

We understand that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates that about 600 humanitarian aid trucks will be allowed into the Strip on a daily basis. But Israel has a very prolonged history of violations regarding commitment to ceasefire agreements.

The Gaza Strip is in desperate need of massive humanitarian necessities, including … all sorts of food supplies and medical needs for Gaza’s fragile health sector. Families believe that if Israel allows for the proper and unconditional flow of humanitarian supplies to the Strip, it will help civilians to gradually start recovering.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said that the Gaza Strip is in need of at least 1,000 humanitarian trucks on a daily basis just to help the Palestinian economy recover and provide some sort of relief for families, who have been going through high rates of food insecurity over the course of the past year.

The Gaza Strip needs more food, more humanitarian items, and … all sorts of medical equipment following the destruction of Gaza’s hospitals in the north and in Gaza City, too.


Gaza aid surge will be challenging, ex-UN official says

While this presents a huge opportunity to expand much-needed deliveries into the war-battered enclave, there are still serious challenges that could impede humanitarian relief, says Martin Griffiths, a former senior UN humanitarian coordinator.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Griffiths said it would be difficult to quickly mobilise enough aid trucks into Gaza and expressed concern that looting and attacks on convoys could worsen.

Israel’s plan to ban UNRWA, the largest aid group operating in Gaza, would seriously jeopardise the aid delivery process, he added. “There has to be a negotiated suspension or removal of those plans to contain UNRWA,” Griffiths said. “Otherwise, we’ll all be in huge trouble… It’s just inconceivable.”


Charities call for ‘unimpeded’ humanitarian aid into Gaza and a long-term solution

We have some more reaction from charities who have welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire deal:

  • Reporters Without Borders has called for “open borders for journalists and an end to impunity for Israel’s war crimes”.
  • OXFAM has urged a “permanent end to hostilities, accountability, an end to atrocities and lifting of blockade”.
  • Action Against Hunger has called for increased humanitarian aid, as there are only 600 trucks per day scheduled to deliver necessities – “far from enough to feed a population on the brink of famine”.
  • The Australian Council for International Development has urged “unimpeded, sustained humanitarian aid to those in need”, adding that the ceasefire “must be followed by concrete actions to ensure a long-term solution”.


Human Rights Watch calls for ‘end to systematic repression’

Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, has welcomed the news of a ceasefire deal and also called for Israel “to lift its blockade, allow in humanitarian aid at scale necessary to meet urgent needs, and ensure basic services like electricity and water are restored”.

“Otherwise, people will continue to die, ceasefire or not,” he said in a statement. He added that the “heinous crimes” committed should not go unpunished.

“Those responsible should be held to account, including at the International Criminal Court, and states need to address root causes, including Israel’s apartheid against the Palestinians,” Shakir said.

“To avoid further mass atrocities, there must be an end to systematic repression and respect for the rights of all people in Israel and Palestine,” he added.