WHO Welcomes Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal Amidst Jitters that Accord Will Indeed Take Effect Sunday 
Displaced Gazans live amongst garbage and ruins.

WHO and other UN and international relief agencies heartily welcomed Wednesday’s announcement of a long-awaited  Israeli-Hamas ceasefire. Israelis and Palestinians, meanwhile, began an anxious countdown, hoping that the agreement would indeed take effect as planned Sunday – even as Israel and Hamas traded accusations Thursday that the other was trying to torpedo the accord.

“Wednesday’s announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is, of course, wonderful and long overdue news,” said Tedros on Thursday, at the launch of  WHO’s 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, for $1.5 billion dollars.

“It is just about the best news we could have hoped for to start the new year,” Tedros added at the first WHO global press conference of 2025.  “We welcome this news with great relief, but also with sorrow that it has come too late for those who have died in the conflict, and with caution, given that …the deal has not yet been confirmed.  Although the agreement would only come into effect on Sunday if both sides are committed to a ceasefire, it should start immediately. We urge Israel’s cabinet to approve the deal and all sides to honour and implement it.

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at WHO briefing Thursday.

Noting the ongoing conflict-related health crises raging in dozens of countries around the world, as well as disease outbreaks and natural disasters around the world, he added:  

“We can only hope that this agreement [between Israel and Gaza] will not be the only one this year, and that we will also see an end to wars and insecurity in Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, DRC, Myanmar and elsewhere,” he observed, noting that WHO responded to 51 emergencies in 89 countries last year, and estimates that some 300 million will need emergency health assistance this year.  “In Sudan, almost two years of civil war and catastrophic displacement have left 70% of those facilities non functional, and in Ukraine, more than 2000 attacks on health care over almost three years of war have caused significant damage and eroded hope.”

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres called on both Israel and Hamas to facilitate the rapid, unhindered, and safe humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, saying, “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent lifesaving humanitarian support,” he told reporters at UN Headquarters, warning that “the humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels.”

Agreement in three phases 

Hostage families gather in Tel Aviv to express hope – but also fears that pending hostage deal will leave many captives behind for an unforeseen period.

The agreement calls only for the release of some 33 of the estimated 98 Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza in the first phase during an initial 6 week (42 day) ceasefire – some of whom may have already perished but have not been confirmed dead, according to the Qatar and US brokers of the deal in statements Wednesday night. 

Those hostages set to be release right away include the ill, people over age 50, women still in captivity, and two infants/toddlers, of the Bibas family, who also are still being held by Hamas – although the group has said that they died some  months ago in an Israeli attack. 

Israel would, in turn,  release more than 1700 Palestinians now in Israeli jails, and withdraw away from the Gaza enclave’s most heavily populated areas, and closer to Israel’s border. A surge in humanitarian aid would also follow, including the Israeli evacuation of some, but not all, posts around Gaza’s southernmost Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Reopening of that crossing, closed since Israel’s occupation of the border area last year,  would help expedite a aid deliveries from Egypt and medical evacuations from Gaza.

While displaced Gaza Palestinians are also supposed to be allowed to return to their homes, it appeared likely that Israel would retain control of a central Gaza Netzarim corridor that could curb the flow of Palestinians now in the south back to homes in Gaza City and its environs. Most of the enclave’s two million people have been displaced at one time or another during the war.

It also appeared likely Israel would remain in control of the northernmost band of the Gaza strip, closest to many of Israel’s communities that were attacked by Hamas on 7 October, which killed some 1200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took 240 hostage. That is likely to include the central “Netzarim corridor” dividing Gaza from north to south, as well as border areas north of Jabalya refugee camp and Beit Hanoun, which also saw some of the heaviest fighting in late 2024, including the Israeli occupation of Kamal Adwan hospital and it’s closure in the last week of December.  

Healthworkers leaving northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital in December after Israel’s occupation of the facility, which it claimed was shielding Hamas fighters.

Conclusion of second phase, remains unclear

During the initial 42 day ceasefire period, negotiations would continue over details of a second phase, which would presumably involve the release of the remaining Israeli and foreign hostages – all men under the age of 50 – as well as a more complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the 360 square kilometre enclave. Significantly, however, the details of Phase 2 have not yet been fully agreed to by the warring parties. 

A final Phase 3 of the deal, if achieved, would see the definitive end to the war, and the launch of a multi-billion Gaza reconstruction plan, according to the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken,  who unveiled the key elements of the plan Wednesday evening.

“As for the details of the second and third phase, they will be agreed upon during the implementation of  the first phase, said Qatar’s prime minister Mohammed Al-Thani in a separate press briefing Wednesday evening. “We have faith.. We are committed, we will do everything possible to ensure that this deal is implemented as agreed and will bring us peace; it depends on the parties, acting in good faith.”

Celebrations and last minute crisis and jitters 

Celebrations in Gaza Wednesday evening after news of a ceasefire deal.

News of the agreement led to massive street celebrations in Gaza, where Palestinians have endured 467 days of war, and over 46,000 casualties, with slightly more than half being women, children or older people according to Gaza’s Palestinian authorities, where Hamas continues to retain control – despite the devastating Israeli invasion and months of occupation. 

 

In Israel, hostage families gathered with supporters in a major Tel Aviv square with hopes that their ordeal, too, may soon be over.  But many families and friends of the hostages also expressed anger over the facts that two-phased deal, leaves most of the remaining male hostages in Hamas captivity for the time being. And if negotiations over the second stage break down, that would and effectively constitute a “death sentence” for them – in view of the long months of confinement in tunnels with no access to clean air, water, adequate food or medical care.

Those fears were exacerbated on Thursday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas was trying to make last minute changes to the agreement – and said he would postpone the Israeli cabinet meeting to approve the deal until Hamas clarifications were received. Meanwhile hard-right Israeli cabinet members threatened to resign in protest over the ceasefire plan – although Netanyahu still appeared to have sufficient votes for its approval.

Both Israeli and Palestinian critics also pointed out that the deal agreed to by Israel’s government now, was effectively the same one that had been on the table since May or June of 2024. The only reason that Netanyahu had agreed now was because his fears of angering incoming US President Donald Trump had now become a bigger concern than the Israeli prime minister’s fears that the hard right wing of his government might trigger its collapse.   

$10 billion needed just to rebuild Gaza health system  

Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, on 23 November 2024: After being severely damaged earlier in the war, it’s back in service at least partially, but most Gaza hospitals have been damaged somehow, and only about half are functioning at all, according to WHO.

Looking forward, WHO’s new emergency appeal aims to muster initial humanitarian support to Gaza’s shattered health system in the first phases of the ceasefire, said WHO Representative to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Dr Rick Peeperkorn at Thursday’s press briefing.  But Gaza will need some $3 billion over the next 1.5 years and $10 billion over the next 6-7 years to rebuild its health system.  

“The destruction is so massive,” Peeperkorn said. “All hospitals are either damaged or partly destroyed, and the same applies for the primary health care clinics. When my team came back with these  initial assessments, it was even more than $3 billion for the first one and a half year, and then actually $10 million for the five to seven years, I was a little surprised that we’re just talking about health.”

He said that the focus of the coming weeks, where the full implementation of all three phases of the deal remains uncertain, should be “pragmatic humanitarian support.”

“But assuming that the ceasefire processes, which is three phases, that it progresses to a lasting peace, that we rapidly expand this early work of rehabilitation and reconstruction.”

Urging Palestinian authorities to plan a more comprehensive health care package

WHO is also initiating discussions with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority’s on the provision of a more comprehensive primary healthcare package for Palestinians as part of post-conflict recovery, Peeperkorn noted. Due to the spotty coverage of public health services and insurance coverage, West Bank Palestinians pay a huge amount of their health costs out of pocket for private health services – and are frequently forced to turn to expensive, hospital-based care for many more basic procedures. This in a time when they, have also been hard hit economically by the Israeli closures imposed by the war.

“It’s also, of course, an opportunity to relook as sectors, including the health sector,” said Peeperkorn.  “How can we now really base it [Palestinian health services] properly on Comprehensive Primary Healthcare, which was not always the case; it was more in hospital-centered system. How can we work with an updated Essential Health package for Palestine, an updated Essential Health package, which should be the basis of our investments. A lot of work was done already before the crisis on this, and we’re working with government partners to further update that. And those processes should guide any any investments.”

Both Peeperkorn and Tedros also repeated earlier  appeals for a dramatic increase in the pace of medical evacuations of sick and wounded Gazans abroad, following the cease-fire agreement. 

“The ceasefire deal offers an opportunity for expedited medical evacuations for over 12,000 people, including many children, who urgently need lifesaving care outside Gaza. We hope the deal will be sustained, because lives depend on it. Peace is the best medicine!” said Tedros, in an X post.

Image Credits: X/Good Morning America, Middle East Eye , X/GMA , @WHO.

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