Why has the world lost sight of the suffering of Palestinians? – The Latest
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What has happened in Gaza since the ceasefire?
This is The Guardian.
You can question whether this should really be called a ceasefire. Over 100 people a month on average since the ceasefire began being killed would be considered an active conflict. The situation in Gaza just does not seem to be a priority for governments around the world who are concerned about the war in Iran, the impact of higher oil prices on cost of living and inflation and things like that. Certainly at the moment we see a lot of condemnation, but very little in terms of practical steps that might mean an improvement. for people in Gaza who are living in this terrible limbo.
While the world's attention is on the war in Iran, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank has all but fallen out of the headlines. From The Guardian's Today on Focus, this is The Latest with me, Annie Kelly. Joining me today is Emma Graham-Harrison, our Chief Middle East Correspondent. Emma Graham-Harrison, you're The Guardian's chief Middle East correspondent, normally based in Jerusalem. So it's really great to have you here in the studio with us today. Thanks. It's great to be here. So six months after the ceasefire, we know that conditions on the ground in Gaza are really horrendous.
What are the living conditions like for Palestinians in Gaza?
No aid getting in or not enough aid getting in. Same with medical supplies. People are living in these really dire, appalling conditions. So first off, I was hoping that you would just tell us, you know, what is life like for people inside Gaza at the moment?
So living conditions are still absolutely horrendous. There's still widespread shortages of food for many people. There's a lack of access to clean water and sanitation. People don't have enough water to drink, to wash themselves, to make food safely. Sewage isn't being taken away. So we're seeing tent camps being flooded repeatedly, particularly when it rains. The latest horror is a rat infestation. We're hearing that rats are biting people as they sleep, particularly children. They're gnawing through the sort of few possessions that people have managed to save from over two years of war, multiple displacements. People who can't get the medical help they need inside Gaza because of the situation also can't get out.
There's not much access to medical evacuation. It's really, in humanitarian terms, a terrible crisis.
How has the war in Iran affected humanitarian aid to Gaza?
And the thing that's particularly frustrating for humanitarians when you talk to them is that this isn't really a logistical issue. It's simply that there are Israeli restrictions on what can get in, whether that's food, the spare parts they need to mend, the water system, medical aid.
Has that flow of humanitarian aid, has that got worse since the war in Iran? Has it been affected at all over the last couple of months?
It was interesting, you know, the war on Iran sort of immediately sucked up most of the political diplomatic media attention in the world. And we did see in the days that followed, Gaza was put under a complete siege again by Israel. Nothing was allowed in, which we hadn't seen for over a year, I think, at that point. The last time that had happened was in... early 2025. That has been lifted. There has been aid allowed in, but it's not been enough. And in April, 29,200 tons of food went in, which sounds like a lot, but there's 2.1 million people in Gaza. And to meet basic needs with sort of, you know, food staples, rice, flour, things like that, the UN says you need 62,000 tons of food a month. So That's well below what's needed.
What is the scale of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank?
There are some commercial shipments, but very few people in Gaza have the money to buy food now after this war, lack of employment. And another really shocking statistic, the UN estimates that a quarter of a million children are going to need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026 this year.
Quarter of a million? In Gaza, yeah. And this is with no real capacity of the healthcare system to treat them? Absolutely. This is in a healthcare system that's on its knees. It's also the fact that people are also still living under airstrikes. You know, the UN, I think, now says that more than 800 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What has happened in Gaza since the ceasefire?
0:00–1:19
2
What are the living conditions like for Palestinians in Gaza?
1:19–2:23
3
How has the war in Iran affected humanitarian aid to Gaza?
2:23–3:37
4
What is the scale of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank?
3:37–4:45
5
What recent incidents highlight the violence in the West Bank?
4:45–6:20
6
How are Israeli settlers and soldiers involved in this violence?
6:20–7:49
7
What are the implications of the upcoming Israeli elections for Palestinians?
7:49–9:03
8
Can international or domestic pressure change the situation for Palestinians?
9:03–13:04