By Aneri Upadhyay
Staff Writer
The week-long ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has now ended. The ceasefire was originally extended by two days and 11 Israeli hostages were released, along with a bus full of Palestinian prisoners, according to the New York Times.
A longer ceasefire would allow more hostages and prisoners to be released and more aid to be brought in for Gaza as reported by the New York Times. This includes food, medicine and fuel. The ceasefire, which was originally four days but got extended to six, was on the terms that at least 10 hostages would be released daily.
The ceasefire is a result of a series of negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Freed Israeli hostages have talked about the harsh prison conditions, such as sleeping on plastic chairs and food shortages, according to AP News. There have been reports of harsh conditions in Israeli prisons as well, with some Palestinians dying while held captive.
The ceasefire allowed humanitarian aid from the United States to enter Gaza.
According to the New York Times, the ceasefire was the longest suspension in fighting since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel. Since that day, according to Israeli officials, 1,200 Israeli people have died. Israel responded by invading the city of Gaza, along with airstrikes and a siege. This has resulted in at least the deaths of 13,000 Palestinians.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated how the fight is to end Hamas. That is the end goal and the military will not stop until that is accomplished, he said.
After the agreement was first solidified, Hamas released 50 women and children that were taken hostage. In return, Israel released 150 women and children who were held in jails. The extension came with the release of 10 women and children daily held in Gaza and 30 Palestinians held in Israel daily.
Qatar and Egypt have served as mediators during the war, trying to bring back the truce. They are continuing to negotiate.
Minutes after the truce ended, Israel launched an airstrike on various buildings in Gaza, as reported by AP News. Hamas also returned fire with rockets.
Gaza is currently suffering from disastrous infrastructure issues. The people of Gaza are packed into the South, unable to go North or into a neighboring country. Gaza is 85 square miles with a population of 2 million people.
According to Reuters, the attacks by Israel have destroyed more than 41,000 homes, with more than 222,000 houses damaged. Along with this, 51% of educational institutions have been damaged and most people do not have access to clean drinking water.
As stated by AP News, in response to the United States urging Israel to protect Palestinian citizens, the Israeli military has sent out a map online that divides Gaza into sectors and has asked citizens to learn what area they are in if an evacuation is needed. However, it did not mention where Palestinians could evacuate to.
According to NPR, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to reporters two weeks ago about how it is important to protect innocent citizens in Palestine. She stated that Israel had a right to "eliminate the threat of Hamas" but “it matters how.”
The Israel military has stated that, since the truce ended, they have attacked more than 400 targets in 24 hours, as stated by NPR.
The attacks will continue until another truce takes place. Until then, more people will be affected while talks of more negotiations are taking place.
