Before rebuilding the Gaza Strip, which could take an extraordinarily long time, it’s important first to “rebuild people’s souls,” said the head of a Catholic aid agency in the region.
As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its second week and Israeli hostages continued to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, thousands of Gazans have been returning to their homes and finding utter destruction.
Fifteen months of war, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, has left the Strip full of rubble and a population in limbo. Palestinian authorities estimated that almost 47,000 people have been killed, out of a population of some 2.1 million. More than 60% of buildings are damaged, and 90% of residents are displaced.
Caritas is one of many aid agencies that are able to bring assistance to civilians trying to rebuild their lives. Anton Asfar, secretary-general of Caritas Jerusalem, said that because of the January 19 ceasefire, residents can wake up from a nightmare of a war, but "to a really catastrophic reality, because they dream of returning back to their homes, but there are no homes.”
There is no clean water, sewage is all over the place, and disease is spreading, he said.
Medical devices are suspect
Fortunately, the ceasefire has allowed a greater influx of aid into the Strip. "The basic necessities of the community -- let's say food and food supplies and some non-food items which are very, very basic -- are flowing into Gaza.” Asfar told Aleteia. “Convoys are going in. But we are looking to sustain this unconditionally. We are looking forward to other humanitarian corridors being opened because the need is immense.”
As well, humanitarian agencies are hoping that Israel soon will allow certain supplies and equipment that it considers “dual use,” which could potentially be used by Hamas for military means. This means that things such as personal computers, generators, solar panels, desalination machines, and even assistive devices such as wheelchairs, are currently banned, Asfar said.
Talks are continuing about lifting restrictions, The New York Times reported last week.
Caritas is looking forward to its staff in Gaza of almost 100 people being able to respond to needs without restrictions on their movement.
“Currently we have around 97 staff in Gaza operating within 17 medical teams, nine medical points,” he said. “We have established an emergency clinic adjacent to the Latin Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, with two medical teams there. We are providing free medicine to the community at large, without discrimination. We're also trying to provide multi-purpose cash assistance to the community at large, clothing, water being trucked in from time to time when it's available, plus hygiene kits, etc.”
Not just Gaza
But the war in Gaza also had an effect on the West Bank and East Jerusalem. And conflict in certain of those areas has increased since the ceasefire.
More than 180,000 Palestinians who had permits to work in Israel had those permits revoked, so they lost their income. For others, more security road closures made it difficult for them to get to work. And of course, pilgrimages and tourism, which locals depend upon heavily, dried up.
“No hotels, no guest houses, no pilgrimage houses, no souvenir shops are working, no restaurants and workshops are working,” Asfar said.
Caritas stepped in to help more than 700 Christian families on the West Bank pay school tuition fees, not just for the students’ benefit but also to help keep the educational system in the West Bank from breaking down.
But the main focus is the Gaza Strip, and Asfar is especially touched by the sight of elderly people who are forced to live in tents because their homes no longer exist.
“It's really about human dignity, providing dignity to people, providing dignified assistance,” he said of the charitable work. “The lives of the people of Gaza have been totally damaged. So most importantly is to work on the people themselves, rebuild their souls first, before rebuilding Gaza. There's a lot to do.”
