Despite Ceasefire Gaza’s ‘Humanitarian’ Crisis Remains Acute

CrossFireArabia
Features
February 4, 2025

Sixteen days have passed since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian factions was announced, yet the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is still dire. Nearly all forms of aid remain disrupted, and the urgent humanitarian needs of the Strip’s roughly 2.3 million residents have not been met.

Despite the ceasefire agreement announced on 19 January, which reduced the intensity of Israel’s daily bombing and killings, the humanitarian situation and living conditions have remained dire, with homes and infrastructure in all its forms severely destroyed.

Though the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip has increased, the Euro-Med Monitor field team’s preliminary analysis of the volume and type of aid entering the enclave reveals that some of it is goods for merchants, i.e. non-essential items like snacks, which are not a priority for the people of the Strip. This is also true of other aid being delivered in trucks to international organisations within the Strip.

While hundreds of thousands of Gazans live in a tragic reality every day, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is only getting worse. International commitments have not substantially alleviated the suffering of the populace, as urgent humanitarian concerns remain unresolved.

Since the ceasefire agreement went into effect, about 8,500 trucks have entered the Gaza Strip, but only about 35% of them have made it to the northern part of the Strip. Emergency needs are estimated to require around 1,000 trucks per day, but the number of trucks that are able to reach the enclave does not exceed half of this daily need.

Euro-Med Monitor reiterates that many of the trucks that have entered are carrying goods for merchants rather than humanitarian aid, and the majority of this aid is non-essential.

There is an urgent need for temporary shelter in the form of tents and mobile homes, which were supposed to be introduced under the ceasefire agreement, because hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned from the south to their residential areas in the northern part of the Gaza Valley. So far, however, Israel has not fulfilled its end of the deal.

The initial need was estimated to be around 120,000 tents, but only 9,500 tents—the majority of which are small and of poor quality—arrived in the Strip. This means that the tents that have arrived only make up eight percent of the total emergency need, and that hundreds of thousands of residents lack adequate temporary housing due to the widespread destruction of homes and buildings across the Strip, particularly in Rafah, the northern Gaza Strip, and large portions of Gaza City and Khan Younis.

The Strip is receiving half of the agreed-upon amount of fuel and petrol needed to run the basic services sector, which is 30 trucks per day on average due to the urgent need to support emergency services, and 14 trucks per day on average.

Sanitary wares, water pipes, solar power, and materials for home restoration are additional urgent needs that would allow families to remain in their partially destroyed homes while any of these are being installed.

About 85% of the water wells in the Strip have been destroyed, and Israel has forbidden the importation of supplies to repair and restore them. According to estimates from the Gaza Municipality and the northern Gaza Strip municipalities, 100 wells in the northern Gaza Valley need to be restored and repaired immediately; none have been fixed thus far.

It is imperative that municipalities and service sectors install solar panels, water tanks, water extensions, and submersible pumps for water wells, plus electricity batteries, in order to meet the basic needs of people living in alternative housing areas.

To date, no suitable tools or systems have been permitted to clear debris, recover victims’ bodies, clear streets, or remove deteriorating structures that endanger the lives of locals in the Gaza Strip.

While only four pieces of equipment, including small ones, were brought in to repair the Rafah border crossing and the road leading to it, the ceasefire included an agreement to provide 100 pieces of various heavy equipment to open streets and retrieve bodies.

Regarding medical devices and equipment, none of the equipment needed to resume hospital operations, such as MRI machines, has arrived in the Gaza Strip. This is especially true for Al-Shifa Hospital, whose buildings and equipment were extensively destroyed and set on fire by the Israeli occupation army. Meanwhile, the European Hospital urgently needs to replace its malfunctioning MRI machine, and Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis has yet to receive one. The same applies to radiology equipment, as the Strip lacks all X-ray and C-Arm devices. Since their generators were destroyed or burned during the genocide, hospitals now require generators as well.

The lack of these essential components represents the parties’ inability to protect and care for those impacted by Israel’s genocide over a period of more than 15 months. This exacerbates civilian suffering, as does the delayed delivery of urgent humanitarian aid that the people are demanding.

The international community and mediators in the ceasefire agreement must act immediately and urgently to meet urgent humanitarian needs; activate support and assistance mechanisms to ensure the safety and dignity of hundreds of thousands of affected individuals; and ensure strict monitoring and independent investigations to secure the implementation of humanitarian and legal obligations, with the sole goal of protecting civilians and guaranteeing their basic rights.

Taking the needs of women, children, and members of the most vulnerable groups into account, swift action must be taken to appropriately address the immediate needs of the people living in the Strip. This includes providing adequate temporary housing; ensuring the entry and access of all humanitarian aid; and removing any restrictions or blockades that impede the provision of relief to the civilian population, including hospital services and access to water and education. Additionally, social and psychological support must be provided to address the devastating psychological effects of the genocide, particularly on children and survivors of direct attacks.

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening due to the international community’s ongoing inaction and indifference to the delayed entry of basic necessities. The international community must instead stand together and take immediate action to guarantee that aid reaches those in need as soon as possible.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

Features

Bahrain Revives Its Pearling Legacy

CrossFireArabia
March 4, 2025

Bahrain, with its shallow waters and rich oyster beds, has long been synonymous with pearls, which formed the backbone of the island nation’s economy for thousands of years. Diving for pearls, otherwise known as pearling, remains part of the country’s cultural DNA.

“I always say that all Bahrainis have pearl diving in their blood,” Mohamed Alslaise, a pearl diver and field researcher for the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT) tells UN News. “Almost all the families that moved from the Arabian Gulf or Iranian coast to Bahrain were divers.”

Mr. Alslaise is passionate about preserving and reviving this age-old tradition, notes that many families in the Gulf nation have a member who was either a pearl diver or contributed in some way to the pearl diving industry.

Pearling in the Persian Gulf shaped Bahrain’s economy for thousands of years but, following a peak around the turn of the 20th century, the perfection of cultured pearls by Japan in the 1930s caused a sharp and devastating decline in the industry.

Khaled Salman, a diver since the 1970s, explains that while diving continues, it’s no longer done in the old way.

UN Video/Hisae Kawamori

Bahraini diver, Mohamed Alslaise extracting pearls from oysters.

“Nowadays, larger quantities are extracted due to advancements in technology, allowing divers to stay underwater for longer periods. In the past, a diver would stay underwater for four minutes, but now scuba divers can remain underwater for an hour or more.”

Due to lower pearl prices, Salman notes, “Many people don’t sell the pearls they extract; they store them until prices rise and then sell them to traders in Bahrain.”

Some pearls are used in local industries, while others are marketed outside Bahrain. He also highlights three types of pearls: synthetic, cultured, and natural, adding that “distinguishing between these types requires experience and modern equipment.”

The decline in pearling also affected Bahrain’s shipbuilding industry. Abdulla, a designer of wooden ships and boats for over 35 years, shares his perspective: “Bahrain is famous for its shipbuilding industry, which was integral to pearling. There are several types of ships, varying by design, but now smaller ships are used for pearling due to decreased demand.”

The wood for shipbuilding is imported from Africa and Singapore, and, says Abdulla, the lifespan of a ship can extends beyond 100 years.

UN Video/Hisae Kawamori

Abdulla, a designer of wooden ships and boats for over 35 years.

Folklore, songs and tradition

“Most Bahraini traditions are connected to the pearl diving industry. For instance, the pearl diving songs,” says Mr. Alslaise. “The folklore of pearl diving has been passed down for generations. We still sing the same songs, which were originally sung to boost morale on the boats.”

Bahrain’s historic pearling site, known as the Pearling Path, has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site testifies to the pearling tradition and the wealth it generated in the Gulf region for millennia.

According to UNESCO, the area consists of 17 buildings in Murharraq city, three offshore oyster beds, part of the seashore and the Qal’at Bu Mahir fortress on the southern tip of Muharraq Island, from where boats used to set off for the oyster beds.

There are shops, storehouses, a mosque, and the homes of wealthy merchants in the area. According to UNESCO, the location is the only complete example of the pearling cultural tradition and the wealth it produced during the period when the Gulf economy was dominated by trade from the second century until Japan developed cultured pearls.

It also constitutes an outstanding example of traditional utilization of the sea’s resources and human interaction with the environment, which shaped both the economy and cultural identity of the island’s society.

UN News/ Abdelmonem Makki

A band performing a pearl diving song in Bahrain. The folklore of pearl diving has been passed down for generations.

Pearling is back

“I am one of the people who fell in love with pearl diving without any guidance from my parents or family,” Mr. Alslaise. “The generation before us was not allowed to dive when they were young because, after oil was discovered, all the jobs shifted to the oil industry.”

According to Mr. Alslaise, since 2017, when Bahraini authorities introduced pearl diving licenses, many people who signed up had no prior knowledge of pearl diving.

“Now, seven years down the line, many Bahrainis have reconnected with this heritage. Over 1,000 divers are now registered and dive regularly to create an income for themselves.”

Features

How Israel Destroyed Rafah?

CrossFireArabia
March 2, 2025

Israeli forces continue to attack Gaza residents in violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the first phase of which took effect on 19 January. Airstrikes and gunfire targeting civilians and their property continue in various areas of Gaza, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. Meanwhile, the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid – particularly medical equipment, hospital supplies, tents, mobile homes, and essential machinery for rubble removal and body recovery – remains severely hampered. As a result, civilians face deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure and essential services. In Rafah, displaced residents continue to be prevented from returning to their homes, while Israeli forces are systematically demolishing both private and public buildings in the city.

Israeli forces redeployed along Gaza’s borders in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement continue to maintain absolute control and a heavy military presence in most areas of Rafah in southern Gaza for the 10th consecutive month. Field reports indicate that since the invasion of Rafah in early May 2024 and the seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, the Salah al-Din axis (Philadelphi Corridor), and other parts of the city, Israeli forces have systematically destroyed infrastructure. Explosions and the sound of military machinery remain constant on the outskirts of the city, while residents are still barred from returning to most areas. The majority of Rafah’s displaced population remains in makeshift tents in central Gaza and in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.

Iftar for all on the 1st day of Ramadan in Rafah 🇵🇸

Bobby Sands famously said:

“They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman 🇮🇪 who doesn't want to be broken.”

The same is true of Palestinians 🇵🇸

🇮🇪 🤝 🇵🇸pic.twitter.com/g7BeynuajN
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) March 1, 2025

According to information gathered by Al Mezan, Israeli forces have not kept within the designated areas outlined in the ceasefire agreement and continue to maintain positions deep inside Rafah – more than one kilometer inside the city center, extending to the eastern garage area, the Palestinian-Egyptian border to the south, and the eastern perimeter fence. These areas remain highly dangerous, where any movement is met with artillery fire, sniper attacks, and aerial bombardment.

According to the Rafah Municipality, 200,000 of the city’s 300,000 residents are still unable to return. No organizations have been able to access many of the areas that are still under Israeli control, including Abu Al-Saeed in Tal Al-Sultan – stretching from the coast to the Rafah Crossing – as well as neighbourhoods deep within the city, such as Al-Awda and Al-Najma squares. Of Rafah’s total area of 60,000 dunams, 60% has been declared a restricted and highly dangerous zone.

More than 90% of Rafah’s neighbourhoods have been completely or partially destroyed, with severe damage to residential buildings, roads, and essential public infrastructure – including health, government, and commercial facilities. The damage is particularly concentrated in the southern and western parts of the city, where six out of fifteen neighbourhoods and five refugee camps have been completely levelled. In addition, nine medical centers were destroyed, including the Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital – the only government hospital in Rafah – the Kuwaiti Hospital, and the Indonesian Field Hospital. Approximately 70% of sewage and water pumps have been destroyed, while electricity and communications networks have nearly totally collapsed. The amount of rubble in Rafah is estimated at 20 million tons, with many bodies still believed to be trapped beneath it.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli forces have killed 111 civilians and injured 916 others since the ceasefire came into effect. The Rafah Municipality reports that approximately 40% of these casualties occurred in Rafah, as residents attempted to check on their homes and agricultural lands. The most recent victim, Hanaa Tawfiq Suleiman Hassanein (Al-Ghouti), was killed on 21 February 2025 when an Israeli tank fired at her home in the Al-Jeneina neighborhood, in the eastern part of Rafah, shortly after she returned home.

Mr. Mohammed Hassan Abu Sultan, 35 years old, married and a father of two, shared his experience of attempting to return to his home in Rafah:

“In early May 2024, my family and I were forced to flee to Deir al-Balah, and later to Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, where we struggled to live in a tent with meager resources. When the ceasefire was announced on 19 January 2025, I was overjoyed, believing that I could finally return home and leave the hardships of displacement behind. But the next day, I discovered that the Israeli forces had not completely withdrawn from Rafah. A few days later, I tried to check on my house in the Al-Jeneina neighbourhood. When I arrived in Rafah, I was shocked by the extent of the destruction. Before I even reached my neighbourhood, I and others who were going to inspect our homes came under fire. I barely escaped. I later learned that the gunfire came from an Israeli crane positioned south of Al-Jeneina, with tanks stationed on nearby sand dunes. Every day I hear of more civilians being killed or injured as they try to check on their homes. I am still living in a tent in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, enduring the bitter cold and poor conditions, waiting for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces so that I can return to my home – even if it has been destroyed.”

A mass iftar dinner program is organized for Palestinians to break their fast together on the first day of Ramadan amidst the rubble of residential area in Rafah, Gaza on March 01, 2025. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/wuEx2A23dE
— Ali Jadallah 𓂆 (@alijadallah66) March 1, 2025

Similarly, Mohammed Mahdi Mousa Al-Dawoudi, 38 years old, married and a father of four, recounted his attempt to return to his home in Rafah after the ceasefire took effect:

“On 28 May 2024, my family and I, like many others, were forced to flee our home in the Tal Al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah due to intense bombardment and the advance of Israeli forces. We took refuge in a small tent in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, where we endured displacement and harsh living conditions. The ceasefire was announced on 19 January 2025, after we had waited for several months to return home. I finally went back to check on my home, but when I arrived in Tal Al-Sultan, I was horrified to see entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. As we inspected the aftermath of the bombardment in the area, Israeli forces positioned along the Philadelphi Corridor (the Egyptian-Palestinian border) opened fire on us. I barely made it back to Al-Mawasi. I later learned that most Rafah residents are unable to return due to Israeli gunfire and military presence in the eastern and southern parts of the city. Many civilians have been killed trying to reach their homes. I remain displaced in a tent, struggling to survive the freezing temperatures, waiting for the Israeli forces to completely withdraw so that I can return to what remains of my home.

As of the time of this press release, Israeli forces continue to maintain control over most areas of Rafah, attacking residents with gunfire and other weaponry, particularly those attempting to return to their homes. The ongoing Israeli operations include the widespread demolition of homes and infrastructure, especially in the Al-Awda and Tal Al-Sultan neighbourhoods, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to alter the city’s landscape and render it uninhabitable.

Al Mezan unequivocally condemns Israel’s ongoing crimes, perpetrated in furtherance of the continuing genocide in Gaza, particularly in Rafah. We call on the international community to take urgent and concrete measures to end the genocide, stop the systematic destruction of Rafah, and ensure the safe return of displaced residents. Immediate steps must be taken to hold those responsible accountable, including full support for the International Criminal Court and other accountability mechanisms, the imposition of a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and targeted sanctions against individuals and entities complicit in these crimes. The international community must also review and suspend bilateral agreements and diplomatic ties that enable Israel’s violations, work toward dismantling the unlawful occupation, and uphold the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Reliefweb