“Palestinians don’t want to leave Gaza.” The Unicef’s Communication Manager, Refutes the proposal of US President Donald Trump, to take control of the war devastated by war.
“They want to stay in Gaza. People feel they have a connection with their home and their land. And many were separated from this land for months, because they could not be in the north or in the south. People feel that only now they have returned to their homes and that they want to rebuild (their lives), ”says Ingram, who is in the Gaza Strip on a humanitarian mission during the ceasefire provided for in the agreement between Israel and Hamas.
This week, the American leader said that and would turn him into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” The proposal, which was widely rejected by the international community – except by Israel – provides to relocate the Palestinian people to neighboring Arab countries, such as Jordan and Egypt.
But in the perception of Ingram, which heard reports of Palestinians in recent days, this proposal is also rejected by the people of Gaza. “I heard from several families and several children: ‘This is my home. And we want to stay. We know the destruction and will take time to rebuild everything, but we are committed to this task, ‘”he says.
Ingram says that the majority of the population, despite the war, is widely connected with the outside world through news and social networks. “People want to understand what the world is talking about them, but they also want the world to support them,” he says.
“They (the Palestinians) feel determined, strong, but they are also exhausted. They have gone through many things and want it to end, they want peace. And they want this peace to be here in the Gaza Strip, they want to stay and rebuild, ”says Ingram.
Donald Trump did not detail what this enclave shot operation would be like, but the. European countries have defended the creation of two states – Israel and Palestine – and those of people who live today in the Gaza Strip.
Climbing the aid operation during ceasefire
In the first two weeks of the ceasefire in Gaza ,. Ingram points out that the United Nations (UN) has always been able to deliver award on a large scale, but that operations were restricted during the fighting.
“We are bringing supplies for nutrition, hygiene kits, winter clothes for children, canvas for people to wear as a shelter, various items. We are also bringing health, vaccination and support for children in mental health and social services, ”he says.
With free circulation through the enclave, the difficulties in delivering help are on the destroyed highways, the wreckage blocking roads and the lack of connection to the internet.
The needs at this time are many, but the priority now for Palestinians is to rebuild their lives in the midst of the ruins.
“Hoping their homes were still standing, hoping to see loved ones they haven’t seen for long. In some cases people found this, but in most of them not. People have returned to ruins and death, ”he says.
Ingram is in the north of the Gaza, a place most affected by Israeli bombings and the target of the army’s first land incursions at the beginning of the war.
“This was a place that UNICEF and other UN agencies had difficulty accessing during the war. We were able to come here only in coordinated operations in short periods of time. This is the first time we could come here and stay, ”he says.
According to UNICEF, more than one million people returned north of the enclave during the truce in the fighting. There, the Palestinians found only destruction. Many .
According to Ingram, the main objectives of UNICEF and other UN agencies are: Improve the flow of water, especially in the North, where the water system has been decimated; Focus on health and nutrition services for children; and protection of mental health services.
Destroyed health system
“Health and nutrition services were harshly impacted by bombing. And of course, the bombings in northern Gaza were the heaviest compared to the whole enclave. People here really fought to survive, ”says Ingram.
The Gaza Strip that survived at the beginning of the war has been totally destroyed in recent months.
Ingram visited the unit in April 2024. At the time the hospital was in full operation, focused on the treatment of children’s nutrition. “When I came back last week, there was only the housing of the building. Hardly destroyed, where it will take a long time to be rebuilt. And of course, it’s not providing health services that children need, ”says Ingram.
UNICEF representative says places like Kamal Adwan Hospital are spread throughout the enclave. This is also the case of Al-Shifa Hospital, one of the largest complexes of Gaza that became inoperative last year due to fighting.
Ingram reports that with the ceasefire, the unit built an attachment that is improvised serving the population of Gaza who needs care that does not require intensive care.
O, in April last year. At the time, Israel said the site was home to Hamas military bases.
Differences between North and South
Despite the north of the Enclave was the main stronghold of the Israeli army, during the more than 15 months of Gaza, it was the south of the Gaza track that shocked humanitarian aid agencies.
“We are talking throughout this war that there is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. This is because the fighting really spread between the North and the South. So anywhere you go to Gaza, you see destruction. And I was shocked to return this time, seeing the level of destruction that is also in the South, ”says Ingram.
In the southern end of the Enclave, he received more than one million Palestinians looking for shelter amid intense combat in the north. The site, however, has suffered serious damage in recent months amid a series of land incursions.
“Regardless where families are, suffering continues. They are trying to find the things they have lost. They are trying to rebuild. But it is very difficult, due to the extent of destruction, ”he says.
Impact on children
The ceasefire also exposed the damage caused in the lives of children and the generation that was taken by war.
“Children in Gaza have suffered a lot in the last 15 months. All aspects of their lives have been affected in some way. They had no easy access to water, they do not sleep peacefully at night due to fear, they could not go to schools, suffered – in many cases – physical and emotional injuries of this war, ”he says.
Mal nutrition is one of the main concerns at this time, since the lack of food can generate brain malformation, causing dwarfism and other diseases throughout life. According to the World Food Program (PMA), during the conflict ,.
“We are also talking about significant mental trauma of children who lived horrible things. Many lost all members of the family, had amputated body parts without the use of anesthetics and were without access to food for many weeks, ”he says.
UNICEF’s focus now is not only to promote short -term aid with access to water and food, but also in the long run with mental health, education and social support programs.
A month before the ceasefire agreement, the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (Unrwa) warned the world by saying that one.
Living with uncertainties and with the hope of the end
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19, should last six weeks. During this period, and more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released. In addition, the agreement foresees the pause in the fighting and the entry of help in the enclave.
The measure, however, is not permanent. , which must predict the end of the war. This proposal has not yet been accepted by the parties and the risk of war returns is still high.
“They lived in the midst of uncertainties for over a year. They didn’t know how long the fights would continue. They did not know how it would affect their families. They didn’t know where they were going to sleep next night. So people, I believe, have accepted that the situation is very uncertain, ”says Ingram about the feeling of Palestinians during this period.
She states that the continuity of ceasefire is essential, not only to end the destruction and deaths, but also to maintain a sense of hope among the Palestinians.
“I heard so many people say, ‘I survived’ and ‘I went back to my house, to my land in the north.’ So I believe people are seeing this as the end. That’s why it’s so dangerous if it starts over, because I believe it would have a great negative impact on the sense of hope and mental health, ”he concludes.
