Safa Hijazeen, Tearfund’s regional director for the Middle East says:
“Tearfund welcomes news of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, but it’s only the beginning and it must be followed by immediate action. Israel must allow a flood of aid to enter Gaza freely and the hostages must be allowed home. The international community must ensure that both parties are held to the agreement and that the ceasefire turns into a lasting peace.
“Hundreds of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip are starving to death and each new hour without life-saving food, water and medical supplies is costing lives. Aid must be allowed through, immediately, at scale and through experienced, principled agencies, not the military-controlled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
“Tearfund's partner in Gaza, Anera, is already working with the most vulnerable and is ready to scale up quickly once supplies are allowed in. Our partner International Health Partners (IHP), has vital medical supplies close to the borders which must be allowed immediate access.
“For the millions of people who’ve endured relentless bombardment and conflict, a ceasefire must not be just a pause, it must lead to lasting peace. It cannot be enough just for people in the region to exist without immediate fear of death; life in all its fullness must be restored. We pray this leads to lasting peace, a sustainable solution which allows Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and with dignity.”
To donate to Tearfund’s Middle East Emergency Appeal, supporting humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, please visit: Tearfund.org/MiddleEast
ENDS
For further information or interview requests please call 07929 339813 or email [email protected].
Notes to editors
- For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org
- Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
