Civil Defense in Gaza: The Humanitarian Catastrophe Continues and We Demand Urgent International Intervention

SadaNews - The Palestinian Civil Defense confirmed today, Friday, that the Gaza Strip is still experiencing catastrophic humanitarian conditions despite the ceasefire, urging the international community for "urgent intervention" to address the consequences of Israeli extermination. The Civil Defense stated in a statement that despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas since October 10, the "humanitarian catastrophe remains unchanged." It added that "no real change has occurred on the ground, except for the entry of a limited number of trucks that do not meet the minimum needs of the afflicted population." The first phase of the ceasefire agreement has come into effect according to the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump, ending a two-year genocide that left over 68,000 martyrs, more than 170,000 injured, and 90% destruction of civil infrastructure. The statement added: "Houses remain destroyed and bodies are under the rubble, while roads remain closed by debris," pointing out that Civil Defense teams are working with nearly no resources amidst massive destruction covering various areas of the strip. The Civil Defense called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to "take urgent action to rebuild, remove the debris, and bring in the necessary machinery to recover the bodies of victims and alleviate the suffering of Gaza." It indicated that "the prohibition of the entry of necessary equipment and machinery to clear the debris exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe and hinders rescue efforts, leaving thousands of families under extremely difficult living and health conditions." The Civil Defense confirmed that its personnel "are working with extremely limited capabilities amidst comprehensive destruction of infrastructure and residential areas." It deemed that urgent international intervention has become an "urgent humanitarian necessity that cannot be delayed." The statement demanded the urgent entry of engineering equipment and machinery across the crossings without restrictions, confirming that its use has become essential to save lives, recover bodies, and open roads throughout the strip. According to a statement published by the government media office in Gaza on Tuesday, Israel allowed only 986 trucks of humanitarian aid to enter out of 6,600 trucks that were supposed to enter since October 10 until Monday evening. The Civil Defense called for securing safe passages for rescue teams and medical staff, and providing urgent support for debris removal and repair of damaged water, electricity, and sewage networks. On October 16, the government office in Gaza announced that the sector is "an environmentally and structurally devastated area" due to the Israeli extermination, which left about 70 million tons of rubble and approximately 20,000 unexploded shells and rockets posing a constant danger to civilians.