ABNA24 - The ceasefire in Gaza has failed to stop Palestinians from being killed by Israeli attacks, with an average of four people ying each day despite a decline in the intensity of military operations, according to a new editorial published by the British newspaper The Guardian.
In its Friday editorial, the newspaper warned that Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe continues to deepen as displaced Palestinians face freezing temperatures, violent storms, inadequate shelter, and severe restrictions on essential aid.
The newspaper said Thursday’s Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, which killed six Palestinians and wounded 28 others, was the first attack on a healthcare facility since the ceasefire took effect in October.
However, it stressed that the bombing was not an isolated incident but part of a continuing pattern of Palestinian deaths despite the declared truce.
The Israeli military claimed it had targeted a resistance commander during the hospital strike but provided no evidence to substantiate its account, according to the editorial.
The Guardian questioned the credibility of Israeli military explanations, citing previous attempts to justify operations that resulted in civilian casualties.
The editorial also highlighted warnings from United Nations experts and healthcare advocates about the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and healthcare workers.
It referred to statements by Israeli military personnel who described high civilian death tolls as “collateral damage,” even during operations targeting lower-ranking resistance fighters.
Winter turns Gaza’s destruction into another deadly threat
The newspaper warned that the consequences of Israel’s military campaign continue to claim Palestinian lives even as the intensity of attacks has declined.
With more than four-fifths of Gaza’s buildings destroyed or damaged, winter storms and freezing temperatures have become additional threats to survival.
According to the editorial, severe weather conditions over the previous weekend caused the deaths of at least four children and one woman.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in desperate conditions, often without adequate protection from rain, cold, or flooding.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 940,000 people are living in temporary shelters in flood-prone areas, where sewage-contaminated water can enter tents and increase the risk of disease, particularly among children, older people, and those with existing medical conditions.
Some Palestinian families, left with few alternatives, have returned to damaged or partially destroyed homes despite the danger of structural collapse.
The newspaper noted that collapsing buildings have already claimed lives, illustrating how the destruction left by the war continues to threaten civilians even away from active fighting.
Israel accused of blocking essential shelter and humanitarian supplies
The Guardian emphasized that rebuilding Gaza has become an urgent necessity, yet even the population’s most basic humanitarian needs remain unmet.
Citing United Nations information, the editorial reported that Israeli authorities were preventing the entry of 150,000 ready-to-use tents, along with essential supplies, including sanitation equipment and nutrient-rich peanut butter.
The newspaper stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, has legal obligations under international law toward Gaza’s civilian population, including ensuring that essential humanitarian needs are met.
Allowing urgent humanitarian assistance into the territory, it said, represents the minimum required to fulfill those obligations.
For displaced families struggling to survive the winter, access to tents, sanitation equipment, food, and other basic necessities is not simply a matter of convenience but of immediate survival.
Trump’s Board of Peace faces questions over limited pressure on Israel
The editorial also examined the role of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump.
According to the newspaper, the board has called on the Israeli government to allow all humanitarian assistance into Gaza and acknowledged that Israel’s response has been insufficient.
However, The Guardian further said that the board has shown little willingness to use its influence to exert meaningful pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Israeli authorities maintain that they are allowing aid trucks and tents into Gaza, while linking the start of reconstruction to the complete disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups.
The editorial said that this position leaves Gaza’s population trapped amid widespread destruction, with no clear path toward rebuilding their homes or restoring normal life.
Turning to Israeli politics, the newspaper stated that former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot had six weeks to form a government following elections held the previous month, in which Netanyahu lost his mandate.
It nevertheless expressed doubt that a new Israeli government would necessarily bring meaningful improvements to the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.
The editorial also observed that Palestinian civilian suffering had featured more prominently in the U.S. congressional midterm elections than in Israel’s elections, reflecting the growing influence of the Palestinian issue in American political debate.
It cited a poll indicating that approximately three in ten Americans believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians.
Growing international opposition could increase pressure on Israel
The Guardian said that changing international public opinion offers governments an opportunity to move beyond statements of concern and apply meaningful diplomatic, political, and economic pressure on Israel.
The newspaper pointed to Netanyahu’s remarks about Israel becoming an isolated “super-Sparta,” saying that such rhetoric overlooks the country’s continued dependence on the United States and European nations for security, trade, and diplomatic relations.
Those relationships, the editorial suggested, give Western governments considerable leverage to influence Israeli policy.
Rather than relying solely on condemnation, governments could use their political and economic influence to demand greater protection for Palestinian civilians and unrestricted humanitarian access.
Funding shortfalls deepen Gaza’s humanitarian emergency
The newspaper also called on other countries to take greater responsibility for addressing Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
It noted that the World Food Program announced the previous month that it had been forced to reduce the number of people receiving its assistance by approximately 500,000 because of funding shortages.
At the same time, Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries have increased the cost of humanitarian operations and made it more difficult for assistance to reach those who need it.
The exclusion of several humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza has created further obstacles to an already overwhelmed relief response.
These combined pressures have left displaced Palestinians increasingly vulnerable as winter conditions worsen and essential resources remain scarce.
A ceasefire without safety is not enough
In its conclusion, The Guardian called for the strongest possible international pressure on Israel to protect Palestinians from the deadly consequences of winter, prevent further civilian deaths, and secure a future in which Gaza’s population can rebuild their lives in dignity.
The editorial underscored that a reduction in the intensity of military operations does not mean the humanitarian crisis has ended.
Palestinians continue to face the combined threats of Israeli attacks, destroyed homes, inadequate shelter, restricted aid, and deteriorating living conditions.
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