After a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, aid workers are hoping to have better access to the battled population in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking over 200 more as hostages.
Since that time, Israel has launched a war against Gaza, where the health minister says over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed.
A three-phase deal was negotiated last week by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, and 33 Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are scheduled to be freed over the ceasefire’s 42-day first phase.
“This ceasefire is the news we’ve been waiting and praying 15 long months for,” said Lorraine Currie, the chief executive of SCIAF, the international aid agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
“As we’ve said before, Palestinians have been starved, with the vast majority of much-needed humanitarian assistance blocked from reaching them for well over a year now. Hospitals have been raised to the ground and people’s homes and livelihoods decimated. Families too have been ripped apart,” she said.
By Charles Collins | cruxnow
