Gaza Ceasefire: “Today’s truce must be the start of lasting peace”

Rob Williams, CEO, War Child Alliance:

"The relief felt by families who can hope for a day without bombardment is something to celebrate.  The release of hostages and of Palestinian detainees is also profoundly important.  We welcome the news of a preliminary ceasefire agreement this morning.  

But any hope is hindered in knowing how much more needs to happen.  So many people have been brutally killed it would take four full days to read out their names.  In Gaza, it will take months to even begin to clear the piles of rubble which is all that remains of 90% of housing.

With so much to do, this is a precarious moment for the people of Gaza.  After the bombing stops, will the people in Gaza and the West Bank drop off the agenda?

The international community as a whole needs to stay fully engaged: not just to achieve a ceasefire but to rapidly deploy aid at scale, to mobilise funding for the full rehabilitation of the buildings and infrastructure necessary for people to rebuild their lives in Gaza.

Children in Gaza must not be abandoned by the international community.  They have been subjected to two years of extreme violence, homelessness, starvation and unimaginable fear.  Hundreds of thousands of children have lost two years of education. 

What we have all witnessed and allowed to continue in Gaza for 732 days represents one of the worst chapters in modern history.  The world owes Gaza’s children a debt that may never truly be repaid - yet we must not stop trying. 

The urgent need for accountability for the crimes committed cannot be set aside.  The mechanisms needed to make sure that those who ordered and committed war crimes are brought to justice exist and must be utilised.  States that are party to the Genocide Convention must ensure there is accountability for these crimes through national and international mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice.  This must be a part of our commitment to the new generation of Palestinians.  Even whilst we clear away the rubble, the atrocities committed in Gaza cannot be swept under the carpet."

Sahar Smoom, War Child Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory:

“Stopping the bombs is only the beginning. For right now, people will be finally able to breath. But for children in Gaza, healing will take years. Every one of the 1.1 million children in Gaza has experienced violence, fear and loss at the hands of the Israeli armed forces – and all need urgent psychological care and protection.

War Child has been on the ground since 2006 and throughout this catastrophe. Despite impossible circumstances, we and our local partners have continued to expand our work to reach ever more children and caregivers. We have provided lifelines to more than 108,600 children and reached over 172,000 people with food, clean water, shelter, hygiene items and education materials. We have begun addressing the mental trauma of more than 17,000 children through child-friendly spaces, recreational activities and psychological first aid. Our teams have also supported hundreds of unaccompanied and separated children.

Our team and partners in Gaza have the skills and scale to provide all children in Gaza with the protection, education and mental health and psychosocial support they desperately need.  We will expand our work providing in-person support sessions for children and caregivers, counselling services and specialised mental health services. But the deep and long-term work of healing and rebuilding cannot begin until unimpeded, safe humanitarian access is guaranteed and sufficient funding is committed. 

Today’s truce must be the start of lasting peace – and a future where every child in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can recover, rebuild and thrive.”

For more information or interviews:

Contact Jessica Timings, War Child Alliance Media and Campaigns Manager, Jessica.Timings@warchild.net