Finally, a night’s sleep without the ground shaking from explosions. Finally, the arrival of urgently needed food from humanitarian aid workers. On Sunday, people in Gaza were given hope that their reality might change. After so many months of suffering, we must not allow these hopes to be extinguished.

From the very beginning of the ceasefire, there has been genuine hope – and there have also been considerable expectations. The return of the Israeli hostages Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari to their families and friends was a moment of joy for many people around the world. According to the agreement, further hostages must be released in the coming weeks. There are still German hostages among them.

Now is the moment to finally achieve tangible improvements in the humanitarian situation. Given the widespread destruction in Gaza and the 1.9 million people internally displaced, these improvements are long overdue. Today, every hour, lorries carrying humanitarian assistance reach Gaza. Now that fighting has ended, it is possible to address these immense humanitarian needs. The current pace of over 600 lorries per day must be maintained at all costs; it is the only way to improve the humanitarian situation. People in Gaza are in need of everything: food, water, medical care, emergency shelters and much more.

The warehouses of the humanitarian agencies surrounding Gaza are well stocked. Sufficient food is available to supply the entire population of Gaza for three months. UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is a crucial partner in distributing aid. A large portion of the food awaiting distribution originates from UNRWA. However, the agency now finds itself at a breaking point since the Israeli parliament passed legislation prohibiting cooperation with UNRWA, which will enter into force at the end of this month. The prohibition of UNRWA’s activities in the occupied Palestinian Territories would further complicate the logistics and distribution of humanitarian supplies in Gaza. Particularly in light of the momentum created by the ceasefire, it is essential that UNRWA be able to continue its work in Gaza.

In Gaza, the immediate priority is securing the livelihood of the population. As a second step, regular humanitarian assistance deliveries must be maintained in the long term, including through the opening of the key Rafah border crossing. Together with many other members of the international community, Germany stands ready to continue providing active on-the-ground support – also through the EU via the EU mission EUBAM Rafah. We must spare no effort to ensure that the ceasefire culminates in a lasting peace, so that the people in Gaza can begin rebuilding and ultimately may lead self-determined lives in dignity.