by Hamas, published on Workers World, February 11, 2024
The following Feb. 7, 2025, statement was issued by the Gaza’s Government Media Office on “israeli” violations of the humanitarian protocol and delays in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. Hamas has postponed the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Feb. 15 due to ceasefire violations mentioned in the statement below:
Despite 20 days since the ceasefire agreement took effect, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deteriorate dangerously. The “israeli” occupation persists in stalling and evading the implementation of the humanitarian protocol, despite its clear terms defining the required aid, priorities and specific timelines.
Monitoring and documentation of “israeli” actions reveal that the commitments outlined in the agreement have not been fulfilled, further worsening the suffering of 2.4 million people in Gaza. The humanitarian section of the agreement — despite representing only the bare minimum needed for relief and shelter — called for the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, including 50 fuel trucks, along with: 60,000 mobile housing units; 200,000 tents for displaced families; generators; spare parts; solar panels and batteries; construction materials and debris removal equipment; rehabilitation of health care facilities, bakeries and infrastructure; and facilitating patient and wounded evacuations through the Rafah border crossing.
However, “israel” has continuously violated these commitments, especially regarding the humanitarian protocol, as evidenced by the following:
- The total number of aid trucks that entered Gaza since the agreement began is only 8,500 instead of the 12,000 that should have entered. Northern Gaza received only 2,916 trucks instead of 6,000 as promised.
- Most aid consists of food parcels, vegetables, fruits and secondary goods like instant noodles, chocolate and chips — ignoring urgent humanitarian needs like shelter and medical supplies.
- Regarding shelter, 200,000 tents and 60,000 mobile housing units were required, but less than 10% of the tents have been delivered, and not a single mobile home has entered Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are enduring the harsh winter without proper shelter.
- The agreement clearly specified 50 fuel trucks daily to operate hospitals and vital services; however, only 15 trucks per day are entering, exacerbating the electricity crisis and paralyzing hospitals and essential sectors.
- The occupation completely prevents the entry of shelter necessities such as: generators and spare parts; solar panels and batteries; wires and water tanks; and materials needed to repair water and sewage networks in northern Gaza. International agencies have confirmed these restrictions.
- The occupation delays medical equipment and supplies, refuses to allow field hospitals and has not abided by evacuating the wounded and sick. [At least] 100 sick children have died due to evacuation delays, and 40% of kidney patients have died due to the inability of hospitals to perform dialysis treatments.
Ongoing Zionist war crimes
In the face of this reality, we assure:
- We hold the occupation fully responsible for this humanitarian catastrophe and warn of the dire consequences of its obstruction, delays and manipulation of aid. The entire world has witnessed how hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians suffered in makeshift tents, exposed to the harsh winter storm, with rain destroying their fragile shelters.
- We urge mediators to pressure the occupation to implement the humanitarian protocol in full, as outlined in the agreement.
- We call on the international community to take responsibility and not remain silent in the face of this humanitarian disaster with which the occupation is attempting to continue its genocide and ethnic cleansing in different forms, using siege and deprivation instead of bombs.
- The occupation’s refusal to allow debris removal equipment has left 55 million tons of rubble, trapping bodies of martyrs underneath. This also affects the ability of the resistance to retrieve the bodies of occupation captives killed under the rubble.
- We demand an urgent international conference to rebuild Gaza and provide immediate humanitarian relief to strengthen the steadfastness of our people and thwart forced displacement plans.
*Featured Image: Hamas releases Israelis on Feb. 8, 2025.