In response to the announced agreement for the release of hostages, prisoners, and a humanitarian pause and increased aid, Oxfam America President & CEO Abby Maxman said:
“The deal announced today provides for the welcome and overdue safe return of hostages taken from Israel on Oct 7. We celebrate that fact that a number of the Israeli and foreign national hostages will be released and that this deal allows for families on both sides to be reunited, celebrate the safe return of their loved ones, and mourn those they have lost.
“This agreed pause in violence and increase in aid allowed into Gaza is miles away from what we need in order to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis and must be a building block towards a ceasefire. But that goal still feels like a distant hope. The humanitarian community will do all in our power to take full advantage of these days to provide relief, but we cannot accomplish anything meaningful in terms of humanitarian aid or making Palestinians safe while there is no reliable access to clean water, food, medical care, or electricity – and when there is no fuel to power vital system-wide services from waste-treatment to bakeries. We are once again counting days of access for safety and trucks of aid, instead of talking of permanent and sustainable solutions.
“We need a full, immediate ceasefire so that families can return to what remains of their homes and communities, so that the medical system can be replenished, so that bakeries can begin to produce food again, so that trade can resume, as well as other vital signs of recovery. We need a pathway to a solution that ensures the safety and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians. Oxfam continues to call for a ceasefire and an end to the siege, safe humanitarian access, and the return of all hostages.”