International organizations and aid agencies called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire to end the “bleeding of life” in Gaza, warning that the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
They made their appeals at a conference in Paris aimed at coordinating aid and considering how to help injured people in Gaza since Israel launched its land and air offensive in response to an attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel on 7 September October.
Those attending the conference included representatives of Arab nations, Western powers and members of the Group of 20 major economies, but Israel was not invited and few heads of state, government or foreign ministers were present. Expectations of concrete results are low if there is no lull in the fighting.
Participants will discuss a proposal to create a sea corridor to send humanitarian aid to Gaza or evacuate the wounded, the creation of field hospitals and financial assistance to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis.
“We cannot wait another minute for a humanitarian ceasefire or for an end to the siege, which is collective punishment,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“Without a ceasefire… the haemorrhaging of life will continue,” he said, in comments echoed by the United Nations and the International Red Cross.
Israel has ruled out the possibility of an immediate ceasefire that could help strengthen Hamas. The United States agreed with the Israeli view, warning that a ceasefire could help Hamas regroup, but called for humanitarian pauses.
The head of Doctors Without Borders, Isabelle Defourny, whose team works in Gaza, said that safe zones for Palestinians in southern Gaza are not realistic and that it is necessary to stop the fighting continuously, “not an hour (pause) here or there.”
Palestinian officials said that as of Wednesday, 10,569 Gaza residents had died, about 40% of them children. Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took about 240 others hostage in the Oct. 7 attack.
Source: Terra
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