Gaza ceasefire ‘exists only on paper,’ say over 100 NGOs in joint statement

More than 100 humanitarian and human rights organizations said on Friday that the Gaza ceasefire “exists only on paper,” citing continued Israeli attacks and restrictions on aid and reconstruction a year after the agreement.

In a joint statement, the organizations said Israeli attacks, shootings and military operations have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, including at least 324 children, over the past year.

“A ceasefire is meaningless if children continue to be killed and families remain unable to rebuild their lives,” said Save the Children Chief Executive Inger Ashing.

“Since the ceasefire was announced, nearly one child has been killed every day.”

The statement said Israeli forces have moved the so-called Yellow Line deeper into Gaza, beyond the withdrawal line established in the agreement, confining Palestinians to an increasingly crowded area.

Nearly 2 million people still need shelter, while more than 80% of Gaza’s structures have been damaged, according to the readout.

With winter approaching, families face a choice between unsafe buildings and tents exposed to cold, wind and flooding. A damaged building collapsed in Gaza City in September, killing 21 people, including 12 children, the organizations said.

Israeli restrictions on equipment and construction materials continue to prevent recovery, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary General Jan Egeland warned.

None of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are operating at full capacity, while shortages of medicine, equipment and fuel remain critical, the statement said, adding that more than 18,500 patients, including at least 4,000 children, need medical evacuation, and over 1,000 have died while waiting. Meanwhile, 1.4 million people face crisis-level hunger or worse through the end of the year.

The organizations urged governments to halt the killings, ensure unhindered aid access and support reconstruction and accountability.

“Accountability cannot be buried under the rubble,” said Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard.