Ceasefire in Gaza Marks Start of Long Road to Recovery

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A ceasefire agreement implemented on Sunday signals an end to one of the most destructive periods in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over 46,000 Palestinians are reported to have died, and a staggering 93% of homes in the Gaza Strip have sustained damage as a result of the recent conflict.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire, with estimates suggesting that 14 out of every 15 homes have been damaged and approximately five destroyed entirely. The region is now reeling from around 42 million tonnes of debris, equivalent to the size of 180 Wembley stadiums. Satellite images reveal extensive destruction, particularly in residential neighborhoods near the Indonesian Hospital in Northern Gaza.

As a part of the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces are expected to retreat to within 700 meters of the Gaza border. With this development, a significant number of the 1.9 million displaced residents of Gaza are anticipated to return home. Many have sought refuge in temporary tent cities along the coastline, following Israeli directives to move south for safety.

The ceasefire also mandates that aid flow into the region dramatically increases, with a target of 600 aid trucks permitted daily—an increase from the average of 67 trucks prior to the agreement. However, the immense scale of destruction poses challenges for effective aid distribution, especially to address severely compromised water and healthcare infrastructure.

Before the conflict, 80% of Gaza's water was sourced from groundwater wells, but only 8% are currently accessible. Furthermore, half of Gaza's hospitals are out of commission due to the lack of resources and personnel.

While rebuilding efforts can commence, the human cost of the war is immense. The conflict, which escalated following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people in Israel and numerous civilian casualties in Gaza, with health officials reporting that nearly every Palestinian family has been affected by loss.

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