Gaza worker appeals for more international aid after ceasefire

A boy runs with a Palestinian flag atop a mound of rubble at a camp for people displaced by conflict in Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on January 17, 2025, following the announcement of a truce amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Eyad Baba | Agence France-Presse)

TOKYO, Feb. 5 — A humanitarian aid worker in Gaza has called for increased international assistance for the residents of the devastated Palestinian territory, even after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect last month.

“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic,” Zaher Sbaih said in a recent video message to the Japan-based international nongovernmental organization Peace Boat.

“In Gaza, securing decent drinking water, food, electricity, and medical supplies is a daily struggle. Malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels,” he said.

Zaher, a partner aid worker of Peace Boat, described the ceasefire in Gaza as “a glimmer of light amidst the darkness that has shadowed the lives of so many.”

READ: Palestinians celebrate return to Gaza after 15 months of war

In the message, he continued: “Now, more than ever, we need your support to recover and rebuild our lives. Your support is not just about providing vegetables but offering hope.”

“This [aid] campaign isn’t just about food. It’s about a message,” he said. “It’s about saying, ‘We see you, we care for you, and we stand with you.’”

Zaher has been involved in providing educational support for children in Gaza and assisting local hospitals. Due to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, he lost his sister, and his house was destroyed in an airstrike.