Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Holds, U.N. To Launch Gaza Aid Appeal

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held into a third day on Sunday as mediators spoke to all sides about extending the period of calm after the worst outbreak of fighting in years.

Egyptian mediators have been shuttling between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas, to try to sustain the ceasefire and have also met the Islamist group’s rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the occupied West Bank.

Lynn Hastings, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said on Sunday the U.N. would launch an appeal to repair the damage in densely populated Gaza.

In a statement she said the escalation has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, generated by nearly 14 years of blockade and internal political divisions, alongside recurrent hostilities.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has said Washington will work with U.N. agencies on expediting humanitarian aid for Gaza “in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal”.

Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007, saying this prevents Hamas bringing in arms and Economists said Israel’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic could be curbed by the hostilities.

However, Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday but said it would take time to revive the tourism industry.