Not even three months into the first phase of the ceasefire, the United Nations had put out alarm bells, stating that Israel had yet again started weaponizing starvation in Gaza by blocking humanitarian aid into the city.
Reuters
After over 460 days of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, by 13th January 2025, Israel and Palestine came to a ceasefire agreement that the whole world had been eagerly waiting for. Although the genocide of the Palestinian people is not something that started in the past two years, the brutality of the actions taken by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Government in general intensified since October 7th, 2023. Since then, the whole world has come to a halt as each live coverage and news article that came out of Palestine continued to showcase the severity of the ongoing Genocide in Palestine. With intensified bombing and brutal murders of civilians, Israel took things further since October 7th, with major blockades that saw hunger rates rising to new levels, and hospitals and schools having to close down due to the intense and brutal conditions that Palestinians were being put under.
By January 2025, it was reported that Israel had killed more than 46,000 Palestinians since October 2023. With this unfathomable mass murder of the Palestinians, the whole world started calling for a ceasefire and an end to the brutal regime of Israel that continues to have a strong hold on Palestine. As conditions continued to worsen, a temporary ceasefire agreement was reached in 2025, with Israel agreeing to end the destruction they continue to unleash on Gaza, and the Hamas troops agreeing to release the captives being held in Gaza. Additionally, the ceasefire agreement also saw thousands of Palestinian captives being free - some after serving unimaginably long sentences imposed by Israeli forces. Finally, the ceasefire agreement also allowed Palestinians to return to their displaced homes, as many had to flee their residential areas due to heavy bombing.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, for the first time in months, Israel also removed the blockade it had on allowing aid into the country. Within the first few hours alone, trucks full of food, medication and other aid surged into Gaza, finally being able to offer any kind of help. The hostage exchange between both nations also saw 33 Israeli hostages being sent home, while Israel released over 1,000 Palestinians who they detained following October 7th. With 600 aid trucks coming in to help those who have been struck by famine due to the Israeli blockade, Palestinians were finally able to celebrate the ounce of freedom and peace from months of nonstop bombs and brutality.
However, just as many predicted, Israel did not hold up its end of the bargain when it came to honouring the ceasefire agreement. Not even three months into the first phase of the ceasefire, the United Nations had put out alarm bells, stating that Israel had yet again started weaponizing starvation in Gaza by blocking humanitarian aid into the city.
We are alarmed by Israel’s decision to suspend once again all goods and supplies, including life-saving humanitarian aid entering the Gaza strip. The announcement followed a decision by the Israeli War Cabinet to break from the Gaza ceasefire agreement and calls by ministers to re-open the ‘gates of hell’ in the besieged enclave. Apart from the cruelty of these statements on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, these moves are patently unlawful under international law. As the occupying Power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services.
In their statement, the UN went on to acknowledge how this breach in the ceasefire agreement by Israel is unlawful, calling it for what it is - war crimes and crimes against humanity against humanity
The planned three-phase ceasefire deal was a crucial first step toward peace for Palestinians, aiming for a permanent cessation of hostilities. However, Israel's breach of the agreement has led to continued violence and destruction, further worsening the humanitarian crisis. Since the blockade was imposed, reports indicate that hunger is spreading in Khan Younis, where people are forced to queue for hours just to obtain a single bag of bread.
This is not the only violation committed since the ceasefire was broken. Israel has also cut off electricity to Gaza, plunging the region into further distress. As a result, Gaza's desalination plants have ceased to function, making access to clean water increasingly difficult for residents. Human Rights Watch has condemned this move, stating that Israel has deliberately weaponized aid by blocking water pipelines and destroying solar panels—actions that have crippled water pumps, desalination facilities, and waste management systems due to the power cuts.
