Stand with Palestine

Thank you for your support of this project. It's been more than six months since a "ceasefire" in Gaza was announced. I'm writing to share some thoughts from ActionAid's colleagues and partners on the day to day realities on the ground since this announcment took place.

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Jamil, Country Director of ActionAid Palestine, says:

“The so-called ceasefire in Gaza was never a real ceasefire. For the last six months, Palestinians in Gaza have continued to wake up almost every day to bombing and attacks by the Israeli army, while continuing to be deprived of sufficient food, adequate shelter, medicines – as well as access to essential services like healthcare and education.

 “Hundreds have been killed and more than 2 million people remain displaced, living in tents or hugely overcrowded shelters in appalling conditions. Rebuilding is impossible: the Israeli army still controls more than half of the territory and continues to carry out systematic demolitions of homes, buildings and other infrastructure. Palestinians are trapped in a painful limbo, unable to move on from the horrors of the last two and a half years and still caught up in a relentless cycle of death and destruction.

Nisreen, a psychotherapist with an ActionAid partner organization in Gaza, says in a video interview from Gaza:

“The way I see it, the ceasefire only exists in the media. But in reality, the feelings we have now during the ceasefire...I honestly feel afraid going to work these days. Even more than when the ceasefire was not in effect. You would think that a ceasefire means no bombing. But in reality, we hear shooting and gunfire every day. We hear about all of this happening across Gaza. So, in reality, there is no such thing as a ceasefire. Because we still hear shootings, and people are still dying every day. I am afraid wherever I go, because you never know where the next target will be.

“What you see in the media shows only a small part of our suffering, of the tragedy of the life we are forced to live. We live in tents, and we wait in line at charity kitchens for food. We wait in queues for water, and we lived through a severe famine.

“Our children are exhausted as well. They wake up already knowing what responsibilities are waiting for them. They used to stand in line at school to buy a sandwich. Now they stand in line for food. And they have to push through crowds just to get water. Sometimes they stand for hours, only to come back empty-handed. Because of the large number of displaced people in the area. And because there is not enough water for everyone.”

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ActionAid cotinues to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and our local partners, providing short and long term support as we are able, and we couldn't do that without your ongoing partnership. Thank you for your generosity during such a critical and challenging time. 

Thank you for your generous support of this project. I'm writing to share some updates about ActionAid's work in Gaza and the West Bank.

After two years of war, Gaza continues to face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on October 10, 2025, has allowed some humanitarian access, but conditions remain dire. Over 309,000 people have been on the move since the ceasefire, mostly traveling from southern to northern Gaza, yet access to essential aid and services remains extremely limited. Malnutrition among children is alarmingly high, the health system is barely functioning, and widespread destruction has left over 61 million tons of debris, making movement and relief delivery even more difficult. Women and girls have been especially affected: over 33,000 have been killed since October 2023, and more than a million now require food aid and urgent nutrition support. Meanwhile, the presence of explosive ordnance continues to pose life-threatening risks across the Strip.

ActionAid and Alianza por la Solidaridad (part of the ActionAid International Federation) have been leading the Gaza and West Bank response, focusing on emergency food, shelter, WASH, and protection services. Between 2023 and 2025, more than 453,000 people have been reached through multiple interventions. This includes (among other things):

• Food assistance for 263,000 individuals
• WASH support for 66,000 people
• Health services for 70,000 people
• Shelter support for 12,396 people
• 15,928 NFI (non-food items) distributed
• Multi-purpose cash support for 7,000 people

In Gaza, thousands of people have received hot meals, food baskets, hygiene kits, and winterization items, while infant milk and vegetable packs were distributed to families with small children and vulnerable members.

Economic empowerment projects in the West Bank reached women in Hebron, while displaced families received emergency cash and food parcels. Our protection and health work reached 144,000 people in 2025 including males, females, youth, and people with disabilities, and offered maternal and gynecological care, food parcels, and essential non-food items, with a focus on survivors of gender-based violence.

Together, and as always, ActionAid and Alianza por la Solidaridad have prioritized a women-and youth-led, community-centered approach to aid delivery, ensuring that women and youth, among whole communities, are not only the recipients of, but the decision-makers in, the response. Their joint activities have supported the protection and empowerment of women and girls in areas like Khan Younis, Deir El Balah, and the West Bank, reaching tens of thousands through integrated protection programs.

Despite the ongoing insecurity, these collective efforts have been vital in sustaining lives, restoring dignity, and strengthening resilience among Gaza and the West Bank's most vulnerable communities.

We are grateful for your ongoing partnership during these challenging times.