January 8, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Israel agreed on Wednesday to a three-hour “humanitarian truce” to allow aid workers and supplies to reach civilians in Gaza. But some advocacy and relief groups are saying the truce is not enough to deliver aid.
Writing on the Amnesty International blog, Zahir Janmohamed asks whether the truce is, in fact, a “farce.” Mr. Janmohamed quotes an official with the United Nations: “When you are trying to feed 750,000 people a day in Gaza as we are, you need a permanent cease fire. You can’t do that in a three-hour window.”
In a press release on its Web site, Save the Children says the three-hour cease fire has brought little relief to families in Gaza. While families can leave their homes during the temporary cease fire, most are afraid to do so, the charity says.
Some groups, such as Oxfam, are asking supporters to urge President Bush to seek an immediate cease fire. The charity is also posting a blog on its Web site written by an Oxfam employee trapped in his house in Gaza.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported today that the United Nations suspended its food aid in Gaza today after one of its workers was killed during an Israeli attack on a delivery convoy at a border crossing.
