Gaza's ceasefire had some momentum. Now, some fear a new war will distract the world

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Some Palestinians accidental they fearfulness the widening warfare sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran could overshadow the fragile concern successful Gaza, conscionable implicit a week aft U.S. President Donald Trump rallied billions of dollars successful pledges for the territory's reconstruction and tried to nudge a ceasefire forward.

Residents accidental they are frightened of neglect and deprivation, with Israel successful the aftermath of the play strikes closing each crossings into their shattered territory of implicit 2 cardinal people.

COGAT, the Israeli subject assemblage overseeing civilian affairs successful Gaza, asserted successful its announcement of the closings that the nutrient proviso wrong the territory “is expected to suffice for an extended period.” It added that the rotation of humanitarian workers successful and retired of Gaza is postponed.

COGAT did not respond to a petition for remark Sunday.

Palestinians told The Associated Press they were rushing to markets, haunted by memories of achy nutrient scarcity past twelvemonth nether months of Israel's blockade. Part of Gaza, astir Gaza City, was recovered to beryllium successful famine.

“When the crossings unopen down, everything was suspended from the market," said Osamda Hanoda from Khan Younis. "The prices spell up, and radical unrecorded successful misery."

Reports amusement prices of goods rising sharply

The shaky Israel-Hamas ceasefire had led to much humanitarian assistance and different supplies entering Gaza, adjacent arsenic the United Nations and assistance partners accidental much of everything from basal aesculapian supplies to substance is needed.

Now, Palestinians are hoarding again, with reports of prices rising sharply for basal goods specified arsenic bags of flour.

“We are acrophobic of not uncovering milk" and diapers for the kids, oregon nutrient and water, said Hassan Zanoun, who was displaced from Rafah.

It was not wide erstwhile immoderate crossing mightiness reopen. Israeli authorities focused connected Iran, and citizens dashed repeatedly for structure arsenic sirens wailed.

Ramadan is disrupted

The warfare successful Gaza began with the Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, and it's been marked from the commencement by restrictions connected radical and supplies being allowed into the territory — and terrified people, including aesculapian evacuees successful request of treatment, getting out.

A period ago, Gaza's main Rafah borderline crossing with the extracurricular satellite — its lone crossing not with Israel — reopened, allowing a tiny and tightly controlled travel of Palestinian postulation successful some directions. No cargo was allowed through.

Now each crossings are closed again successful the mediate of the beatified Muslim fasting period of Ramadan, a clip of chosen deprivation, evening feasts and prayer. Images person shown Palestinians lined up astatine agelong tables successful the mediate of bombed-out debris.

The strikes connected Iran shook that routine.

“All the radical rushed to markets, and they each wanted to store and hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City, arsenic connection of the explosions successful Tehran began to spread.

Under the Oct. 10 U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the heaviest warring has subsided, though regular Israeli occurrence continues successful Gaza. The U.N. World Food Program has noted advancement successful the enclave but said successful its latest nutrient information investigation past week that hunger remains.

“Households reported an mean of 2 meals per time successful February 2026, compared to 1 repast successful July," it said. "Still, 1 successful 5 households consumed lone 1 repast daily.”

The World Central Kitchen, meanwhile, warned that it would tally retired of supplies this week if Israel kept the strip’s crossings closed.

“We request nutrient deliveries each azygous time to provender bare families who are not portion of this war,” José Andrés, the personage cook who founded the organization, said successful a societal media post.

He said WCK provides 1 cardinal meals a time successful Gaza, and that the radical and others moving successful war-torn Gaza request nutrient and different supplies each day

“We cannot wait...let the humanitarian trucks spell done today!” helium said.

A situation for assistance groups and others

Refocusing the world's attraction connected Gaza is simply a situation for assistance groups and others arsenic Iran scrambles for caller enactment and explosions proceed successful Tehran, Israel and astir the Middle East.

Trump has said bombing successful Iran could proceed done the week oregon longer, and warned Tehran of “A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” if it escalates attacks.

It's a melodramatic crook from Trump's motorboat little than 2 weeks agone of his caller Board of Peace, a gathering of satellite leaders that is aimed astatine ending the warfare successful Gaza but has ambitions of resolving conflicts elsewhere.

Even with that bump successful momentum connected Gaza, large challenges stay for the ceasefire. They see disarming Hamas, assembling and deploying an planetary stabilization force, and getting a recently appointed Palestinian committee meant to govern Gaza into the territory.

As the Middle East turns to different war, immoderate Palestinians spot a benefit: Israel's subject is distracted.

“The bully happening is that the dependable of booms and demolitions is uncommon present adjacent the yellowish line,” said Ahmed Abu Jahl, of Gaza City, speaking astir the enactment dividing Gaza and marking retired astir fractional the territory controlled by Israeli forces.

"Even the drones, they are inactive flying overhead, but their fig has gone down.”

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Ezzidin reported from Cairo and Anna from Lowville, New York.

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Find much of AP’s sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

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