Some Gazans have returned to their abandoned homes as they grapple with the utter destruction left by the Israeli assault. A Gazan mother said she was using rubble from her leveled home to make fire to cook over. Aid groups including the World Food Programme are warning Gaza remains at risk of an even worse humanitarian crisis and that more assistance is urgently needed.

Samer AbdelJaber: “Our team saw hunger, desperation and destruction, people who have not received any relief in weeks, hundreds of thousands that are facing an immediate risk of starvation. WFP hopes for the extension of this pause, which offered the window of relief that could pave the way for a longer-term calm. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access cannot stop now.”

An estimated 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip.