Gaza

Full recovery from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza will be impossible unless Israel’s blockade is lifted permanently, Oxfam warned today as it held a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, to highlight the suffering the blockade causes.

More than 120,000 people have now fled their homes but have nowhere safe to go. With exit through Israel closed under the long-term blockade, and the border with Egypt shut, most people are prevented from escaping the violence.

Amid rising casualties, Oxfam’s partners on the ground are are trying to respond to the mounting human cost of the escalating violence. Vital water and sanitation infrastructure has also been destroyed or badly damaged by Israeli airstrikes.

Working with Israeli and Palestinian partner organizations, Oxfam aims to improve the lives of poor and marginalized Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. Why is Oxfam against settlements? Does Oxfam support a boycott of Israel? Read the answers and learn more about our position on the conflict.

One year since the ceasefire between the Government of Israel and Hamas, the promised economic improvements for people in Gaza have failed to materialize.

With a ceasefire holding, Oxfam sees an opportunity to break the cycle of violence and lift the blockade once and for all.

The ceasefire agreed between the Government of Israel and Hamas on 21 November 2012, following the recent military escalation in Gaza and southern Israel, provides an unprecedented opportun

Martin Hartberg, Oxfam Policy Officer in Jerusalem said:

An Israeli airstrike has destroyed one Oxfam supported, left another damaged in North West Gaza City.

As the impact of days of violent escalation worsens for civilians in Gaza and in Israel, a group of 38 aid and development agencies today urged world leaders to take swift action to enforce a ceasefire in order to protect civilian lives and infrastructure and prevent another widespread humanitarian disaster in Gaza brought on by a prolonged military confrontation.