Gaza feels different this morning’ says UN worker
Guterres welcomes start of ceasefire in Gaza as UN ramps up food deliveries
We’ve been hearing from Sam Rose, acting director of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, who says “it does feel very different” in Gaza this morning.
Gaza feels different this morning’ says UN worker
“There are no bombardments, no drones…even the drones fell silent, it feels peaceful,” he tells the Today programme.
“Children are playing and people are out and about – they can breathe without fear.”
Thousands of aid trucks are still waiting to enter Gaza, he says, with supplies stuck outside for many months including tents, blankets, mattresses and clothes.
Gaza feels different this morning’ says UN worker
Brokered last week by the Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the three-phase ceasefire comes 15 months after Hamas militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages, with around 100 still being held.
Israel launched the military campaign following the Hamas-led attacks on its territory.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s health authorities,
The Gaza strip has since been devastated and its two million inhabitants left in dire need of food and other necessities.
The ceasefire and the implementation of the first phase was hailed by the United Nations as a crucial step toward peace and toward alleviating the immense suffering endured by the Palestinian population.
The first trucks of the ceasefire entered yesterday. “We had a good day yesterday in terms of the numbers coming in,” says Rose. “Now people need to recover physically from the trauma.”
