By Dave Putson
The alleged “ceasefire” that commenced in October 2025, has now seen in excess of 412 Palestinian murders and more than 1200 Palestinians injured in Gaza. These have been the result of over a thousand ceasefire violations by the Israeli Occupation Forces. Regardless of the agreement, Palestinians are still being subjected to shelling, gunfire and airstrikes.
A so-called ‘Yellow line’ divides Gaza between the area to the east occupied by Israeli forces – about 55% of the Gaza Strip – and the narrow strip of land to the west, along the coast, into which up to two million refugees have been crammed. On December 29, the Israelis were reported as having conducted airstrikes, shelling and gunfire in the refugee zone. There were also further airstrikes and ground fire in Rafah.
The Yellow concrete blocks used to determine where the Yellow line is and the exclusion zone to the east of it, is also being slowly moved westwards by the Israelis, in order to increase the land they control and reduce the area containing the displaced Palestinians.
The winter weather is now wet and freezing cold. Given that 98% of the buildings and homes have been reduced to rubble, and that the surviving Palestinian population are living in tents (some which are simply tarpaulins hauled over whatever poles can be found), these are not conditions for keeping warm.
In addition, most have only one meal a day, and not necessarily anything more than bread, with limited nutritional value, so the ability of these displaced people to maintain body heat is further reduced.
There have been two winter storms in the last week and after one, 42,000 tents were ripped to shreds and the families huddling in them were completely exposed to the elements. There are more than 12,000 Portacabin-style secure temporary housing units being held up at the border crossings, the Israelis refusing to allow access.
Sewage mixing with flooding rain water
So, apart from bombs and shells, the bad weather is causing further casualties and illnesses, including hypothermia in babies and illnesses linked to the overflowing sewage that mixes with flood water from the winter rains. In some areas, this disease-ridden mixture only comes up to peoples’ calves, but in others, where horses are being used to pull carts, standing dirty water is half way up their legs.
There are huge numbers of Palestinian families, who are reporting that the flood water is now in their tents. This means that clothes, blankets and mattresses are sodden and no longer fit for purpose.
The UN Humanitarian Partners have responded to the flood alerts by distributing tents, tarpaulins, warm winter clothes, blankets and dignity kits. There are now some (but not enough) pieces of heavy equipment getting into Gaza that is able to be used to pump sewage and flood water away.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated that 600 aid trucks were to be allowed into Gaza per day, as a minimum, but the number getting across the border is much less than this. On December 29 it was reported, there were 3,375 pallets of aid dropped at the border and 76% of these were food aid and 16% shelter items. 82 truck loads were delivered to Kerem Shalom crossing and 57 trucks loads at Zikim crossing, substantially less than agreed.
The actions of the Israeli government and the IDF are deliberately ensuring that the Palestinians still suffer, far more than than was expected with the agreement. It is clear that if the Israelis cannot bomb, shoot and shell the Palestinians – at least as much as previously – then ethnic cleansing will be put into effect by starving and freezing them to death.
On December 28 and 29, some emergency shelter aid and non food aid was provided, including over 9,000 blankets, 5500 tarpaulins, nearly 2,000 mattresses and 811 tents. It was repoted that 7,480 families in Northern Gaza, Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis received cash and vouchers for food assistance. Child Protection Services were offered to 3,000 children and a further thousand cases of mental health and psychosocial support were offered.
Utilities and buildings all systematically destroyed
Another report from December 29 suggested that more than 500 children and their families were given winter jackets, blankets and stationery, although, the distribution was compromised by the winter flooding. Over two years, Israelis set about – and succeeded in – systematically destroying the entire infrastructue on which everyday life depends, not because they were military or strategic targets, but as part of a strategy of ethnic cleansing. The destruction of the sewage and water distribution systems is especially impacting on every aspect of life for the refugees today.
The complete social breakdown among the two million destitute Palestinians is, sadly, also evident in an increase in gender based violence(GBV). This is a scourge current in all societies and is a by-product of capitalism itself, but in a situation where stress levels are vastly increased from a genocidal assault and deliberately induced humanitarian crisis, then there is an exponential increases in GBV.
To some extent, the increase in gender-based violence has led to an increased awareness and the implementation of counter actions, including shelters and community spaces which offer dignity kits, menstrual hygiene management kits, hygiene kits. The December 29 report specified over a thousand women and girls received dignity kits.
The December 29 also reported that actions were being undertaken to identify and deal with unexploded ordnance and there are education sessions on Explosives Ordnance Risks sessions across Gaza, Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis.
Some temporary learning spaces have been established and since the “ceasefire” the capacity for education has been extended to 232,500 school-age children, supported by 5,540 teachers, the latter unpaid. Despite the horrific genocide and a one-side war conducted against the Palestinian population, such voluntary actions show that a sense of community and a civil society has been maintained,
It needs to be understood that these pieces of information do not show the complete picture of the entire last seven days in Gaza. It is just a very limited snapshot. There can be no doubt that the food and humanitarian aid being given to the two million Gazans still surviving, is a fraction of their real needs. We can only admire their resilience and courage and their determination – despite the wishes of the Israeli government – to stay in Gaza.
We also need to understand that the horrors that have been visited on Gaza by the Israelis is also in store, and indeed is underway in the West Bank. We will soon no longer be talking about a Gaza genocide but a Palestinian genocide.
[This article is based on a report given by Dave Putson to the Socialist Sunday discussion group last weekend. It is based on reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNOCHA, (occupied Palestinian Territory), reports in Al Jazeera and various blogs. The December 29 report referred to, is from the UNOCHA.]
