Three weeks ago, in violation of the ceasefire and international humanitarian law, the Israeli government blocked all aid, food, fuel, and shelter from entering Gaza. At the same time, the Israeli government was resisting scheduled talks for the second phase of a more permanent ceasefire agreement. Instead the United States floated a short-term “bridge proposal,”

“Palestinian lives have become so undervalued that reports of 50 children killed barely register... We must speak about it... We must tell the stories.” Ms. Yafa Abu Akar, a Palestinian Journalist in Gaza

People walk by buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, March 20, 2025.  Leo Correa/AP

By Ghada Abdulfattah Special contributor

March 20, 2025, 4:51 p.m. ET | Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

When Sabah al-Qarra first returned to her home in the Gaza Strip town of Khuzaa seven weeks ago, she was careful not to get too comfortable. There was a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but she didn’t trust it.

But as the days turned to weeks, Ms. Qarra and her family tacked sheets of nylon over the blown-out glass windows and hauled rubble from the bombed-out rooms. They installed solar panels and, when Ramadan arrived, strung twinkly crescent- and star-shaped lights to celebrate the holy month.

It felt, at last, like life could begin again.

Then the bombs began to fall.

On Tuesday, Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza, killing 500 people, including 200 children, local authorities said, sending Ms. Qarra and her family fleeing once more. On Thursday, after days of calling on the international community to push Israel back to the negotiation table, Hamas responded in kind, launching rockets into central Israel. Meanwhile, Israel began a new ground offensive in northern Gaza.

The developments spelled an end to the stalled ceasefire negotiations, which had tried the patience of both Israelis’ and Palestinians’ allies. But for Gazans, the resumption of fighting simply laid bare their greatest fear: The world had turned its back.

 “We were let down and left behind” by the international community, says journalist Yafa Abu Akar. “No one cares.”...          READ MORE  https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2025/0320/gaza-ceasefire-israel-airstrikes

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‘Abandoned by everyone,’ Gazans watch the bombs fall