The fighting may have stopped in Gaza, but the humanitarian crisis is still ongoing. The eleven-day battle between the Hamas militants and the Israeli military, as well as the rising protests from Palestinian citizens, has worsened the state of the Palestinian enclave, which was already dire before the conflict due to blockades imposed by Israel and Egypt. More than 230 buildings containing more than 991 housing and commercial units have been destroyed, and more than 72,000 Palestinians have been displaced as a result of the Israeli airstrikes. According to the Israeli defense forces, they have tried to “minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, but Hamas was effectively using Palestinian civilians as human shields”. At least 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, and 12 Israelis have been killed during the conflict. 

The damage from the conflict compounds a long-term economic crisis in Gaza, where the unemployment rate surpassed 43 percent in the last quarter of 2020. Israel and Egypt have enforced a blockade on Gaza since 2007 to prevent the flow of weapons to the Hamas military. Israel also controls Gaza’s electricity, birth registry, and cellular data. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor titled “Suffocation and Isolation: 15 Years of Israeli Blockade on Gaza”, the living conditions in Gaza are unconscionable, and have no moral, legal, or policy justification.

Civilian infrastructure destroyed by Israeli bombing include 53 schools, 6 hospitals, 11 primary healthcare centers, and the central COVID-19 testing laboratory. The health sector was among the most impacted by the crisis, which has derailed the COVID-19 response and worsened the already sluggish vaccine distribution. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on Earth, with two million people packed into a 365-kilometer strip of land. Around 95 percent of its population does not have access to clean water, further increasing their vulnerability to the pandemic.

As the world witnessed the crisis in Gaza unfolding, there was increasing international pressure to end the conflict. President Biden, who had publicly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, delivered a firmer message in private to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging de-escalation of conflict and ceasefire talks. The truce, mediated by Egypt, began at 2 a.m. local time on May 21, after intense diplomatic efforts. However, past ceasefires, including all nine truces that came and went during the 2014 Gaza War, have proven to be fragile, and tensions still remain high in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas claimed their victory after the ceasefire, and despite clashes at the al-Aqsa compound, the ceasefire appears to be holding. For many Palestinians, however, it was enough to give the ceasefire a sense of déjà vu, instead of just a feeling of relief. Abdul Ouf, a Palestinian residing in Gaza, said to The New York Times: “whenever we try to improve the economy, they destroy it.” None of the underlying causes of the conflict were solved: dispute over the land rights in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the blockade by Israel and Egypt remain. Still, world leaders welcomed the ceasefire as the rapidly aggravating humanitarian crisis and rising death toll were the immediate concerns.

After every cycle of conflict comes rebuilding efforts. Although there exists the risk of relapse to conflict after reconstruction, there is a dire need for rapid, large-scale humanitarian efforts. UN Relief Chief Mark Lowcock announced that 22.5 million USD has been allocated from the organization’s emergency funds for the humanitarian response. After Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, trucks from aid agencies brought much needed medicine, food, and fuel. Tens of millions of dollars will be needed to rebuild Gaza.

An end to the fighting is only the first step. Damage has already been done, and Gaza will not easily recover from this. Humanitarian groups are rushing to deliver food, medicine, and fuel to those in need, but they are in short supply. After decades of hostilities and four armed conflicts in the last 12 years, even the young children in Gaza will now suffer the trauma of unmitigated violence and the loss of their homes. A truce is only a temporary fix. Reconstruction efforts should begin and international aid must be delivered to alleviate the situation in Gaza, but this crisis should also serve as a reminder to all parties involved that without resolving the underlying crisis, the cycle of violence and the humanitarian crisis will persist.