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Gazans 'cautious' about movements amid latest ceasefire

People return their homes in Khan Yunis
People return their homes in Khan Yunis

People in Gaza are being cautious about their movements as they wait to see if the current ceasefire holds.

That is according to Humanitarian Director at Save the Children in Gaza, Dr Rachael Cummings.

Dr Cummings told RTÉ's News at One that the ceasefire has brought cautious optimism to people in Gaza, but unlike January when there was a pause in hostilities and lots of people moved around quickly, this time people are much more cautious in their movements.

She said that some people have gone back to Gaza City but there is very limited infrastructure for water and sanitation, so others are waiting for that to be reestablished before they make the move.

She pointed out that the situation for children has not changed dramatically, and that Save the Children is providing the same services that it has been throughout the war, despite the ceasefire.

Dr Cummings said the priority now is getting 600,000 children to return to school to provide protection and normality that they are desperately in need of.

She added that some children have no recollection of life before the war. When they are asked to share their feelings and experiences through activities, they are only able to share, make or draw pictures of bombed houses or land that has been destroyed.

"It's a very long road to recovery but we are hopeful that this is the beginning of that road and we will be part of that journey for the children," she said.

On aid, Dr Cummings said Gaza was seeing some commercial and humanitarian supplies enter, and markets have some items available, like flower, canned food, and some fresh fruit and vegetables.

She said that prices are decreasing but are still very expensive.

She added that the humanitarian sector is ready to receive its own supplies to support other humanitarian groups for distributions.

"We are hopeful that the humanitarian and commercial supplies enter at scale, as that’s what is needed."

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Aid entry and broder crossing

The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor saying famine was present in the enclave and health authorities overwhelmed.

"Our situation is utterly tragic. We went back to our homesin the al-Tuffah neighbourhood and found there are no homes at all. There is no shelter. Nothing," said Moemen Hassanein in Gaza City, with tents and shanties behind him.

Reuters video showed a first group of trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing at dawn on Wednesday, some tankers carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid.

However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave on Wednesday - the full daily complement required under the ceasefire plan. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings.

"Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection," the Israeli security official said.

Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that deliveries would include food, medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas and equipment to repair vital infrastructure.

Underscoring the political challenges facing the truce, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a "disgrace".

Rafah is due to be opened to Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza either entering or exiting the enclave. But those awaiting medical evacuation told Reuters they had not yet received notification to prepare for travel.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is preparing to operate the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which it previously did with EU assistance. Israel closed the crossing in 2007 after Hamas took over the enclave, but later allowed some movement through it under an agreement with Egypt.

Violence in Gaza

Several other Palestinian factions present in Gaza have backed the days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans that had tried to take over areas of the territory during the conflict.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, one of the groups backing the Hamas crackdown, described the clans being targeted as "hubs of crime".

The ceasefire envisaged Hamas initially restoring order in Gaza and US President Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, endorsed Hamas' crackdown on rival gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm.

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video, authenticated by Reuters, showed masked gunmen shooting dead seven bound, kneeling men in a Gaza street.

Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said it would immediately enforce any violation of the line.