ActionAid International: Three years on, Gaza needs a real ceasefire as the humanitarian crisis worsens and women and girls face compounding crises

Occupied Palestinian Territory - After three years of attacks by the Israeli army, which have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and forcibly displaced almost the entire population, people in Gaza remain trapped living in appalling and deteriorating conditions, deprived of the means to start rebuilding their lives.

Despite the so-called ceasefire agreed one year ago, people continue to be killed and injured in frequent attacks by Israeli forces: almost 1,400 people have been killed since the ceasefire was implemented, while more than 74,000 have been killed overall in the last three years, as the genocide continues.  
 
Dr Mohammed Salha, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO), ActionAid’s partner in Gaza, said: “What is called a ceasefire actually is not a ceasefire. Our people are still living without safety, our people are still living without dignity, our people are still living without basic needs, basic rights. For more than three years, this aggression has destroyed homes, livelihoods, and essential services... Gaza needs more than survival. It needs safety. It needs recovery. It needs reconstruction and justice.”

As the Israeli military continues to expand its control over the Gaza strip, Palestinians are being crammed into an ever-smaller area of land, forced to live in overcrowded tents or shelters among the ruins of their former lives and an estimated 61 million tonnes of rubble. People are being deprived of basic essentials from medicines to proper shelters as the Israeli authorities continue to systematically block supplies from entering Gaza, including reconstruction materials, without which any sort of recovery and rebuilding is impossible.

ActionAid’s partner organisations in Gaza are warning that women and girls are being particularly impacted, as maternal healthcare services remain hugely disrupted and the challenging living conditions increase the risk of gender-based violence. 
 

Anwar, project coordinator at Wefaq Society for Women and Child Care, ActionAid’s partner in Gaza, said:"The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and deeply unstable. Living without safety, women face increased risks of gender‑based violence, harassment, and exploitation. Women and girls are struggling to access water, toilets, and menstrual hygiene. Women walk long distances to collect water, to have health services.  

"Displacement means women [have no] privacy, dignity, or safe spaces. Most of all, displacement is taking a severe toll on women’s and girls’ mental well‑being. 

"Women and girls need safety, healthcare, food, water, protection, and dignity — not just survival...we need really a solution to solve all of these problems before the winter.” 
 
Staff at Al-Awda Health and Community Association, ActionAid's partner in Gaza, said the number of pregnant women experiencing complications was rising as a result of the daily challenges they are facing. 

Ahmed Mohanna, manager of programmes at Al-Awda, said: “[We are] observing a significant increase in women seeking obstetric and gynaecological care due to miscarriage, threatened miscarriage, pregnancy-related bleeding, hypertension, severe anaemia, and other conditions. This increase is closely linked to extremely challenging humanitarian conditions in Gaza, including malnutrition, severe psychological stress, limited access to antenatal care due to shortage of transport and other challenges, shortage of essential medicines and supplements, and delayed access to healthcare centres.” 
 
ActionAid and its local partner organisations are demanding a real ceasefire in Gaza that truly protects Palestinians, an end to Israel’s illegal occupation and an end to all restrictions on aid entering the territory, so that supplies can be delivered unhindered and at a scale.

Riham Jafari, advocacy and communications coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, said: “The world must not normalise what is happening in Gaza. The genocide is not over: every day Palestinians are forced to survive in conditions that can only be described as unliveable. There was never a real ceasefire in Gaza, instead – in full view of the world – the Israeli army has continued to kill and injure hundreds of people, pursuing its strategy of death, expulsion and colonial domination. In the West Bank, too, life is increasingly becoming unliveable for Palestinians who face unprecedented levels of violence from both Israeli soldiers and state-backed settlers, mass displacement and ever more restrictions on their freedom of movement.  
 
“The impunity must end. It’s time for third countries to impose real consequences to the Israeli army’s repeated and flagrant breaches of international humanitarian law: that means ending all arms sales to the Israeli government and imposing sanctions. There must be full accountability and justice for all atrocities that have been committed.” 
 
Anwar added: "Gaza shocked the humanity of the world. The people raised their voices, refusing genocide, but their government and leader failed them. 
 
"Our message is: keep demanding justice for Palestinian people, and keep refusing genocide. Keep raising your voice to demand your governments and parliaments stand on the right side [of history]. All tools must be used to end the illegal occupation and blockade and achieve peace for Palestinian people."

About ActionAid International  

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people living in more than 72 of the world's poorest countries. We envision a world characterized by justice and sustainability, where every individual has the right to a dignified life and freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. We strive to achieve social justice, gender equality, and eradicate poverty.  

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to enjoy freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs through its engagement with Palestinian communities and youth and women’s groups, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective action to address the rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation, in addition to improving their leadership capacity and practicing their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable. 

For more information, please contact:  

Riham Jafari   

Communication and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine   

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org