LONDON

Amnesty International has urged that any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip be used as a pathway to end Israel’s “unlawful occupation, apartheid and genocide,” following two years of intense conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard, in a statement on Thursday, stressed the urgent needs of Palestinians in Gaza, saying: “For more than 2 million Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip who have faced two years of agonizing suffering, relentless bombardment and systematic starvation amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, for those held hostage by Palestinian armed groups, and for those arbitrarily detained by Israel, a deal that could put a stop to the horrors of the past two years is cruelly overdue.

"However, it will not erase all they have endured. Many will now be watching closely for proof that this is not just another brief respite.”

Callamard stressed that a temporary pause in violence or a limited flow of humanitarian aid is insufficient.

She called for “a full cessation of hostilities and a total lifting of the blockade,” urging Israel to allow “the unhindered flow of basic supplies, including food, medicine, fuel and reconstruction material, into all parts of the occupied Gaza Strip, as well as the restoration of essential services.”

He also called for the return of internally displaced Palestinians and the release of hostages and detainees:

“All Palestinians who have been internally displaced—most of them multiple times—must be able to return to their land without Israel dictating who can and cannot return.

"Israel must release all arbitrarily detained Palestinians, including those held without charge or trial as administrative detainees or unlawful combatants, particularly health care workers unjustly detained for caring for their patients.”  

 'Trump peace plan fails'  

Callamard criticized the so-called “Trump peace plan,” arguing that it “fails to demand justice and reparations for victims of atrocity crimes or accountability for perpetrators.”

She emphasized that a lasting ceasefire must include steps to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the broader occupation of Palestinian territories, as well as the dismantling of what she described as a system of apartheid.

She further condemned Israel’s proposed “security perimeter” in Gaza, saying: “Israel’s plans to impose a ‘security perimeter’ (buffer zone) on Gaza’s most fertile lands would further entrench apartheid and occupation and compound injustice.

"Any scheme to outsource the occupation of Gaza without ensuring freedom of movement with the rest of the occupied territory will only deepen the territorial fragmentation that underpins Israel’s system of apartheid."  

'Safety for children requires more than words' 

Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children UK, also expressed cautious hope for Gaza’s children, saying: “Today we watch with hope that a long overdue reprieve may be on the horizon for the children of Gaza. With bombs and bullets silenced, families will be able to think of the future, of rebuilding and recovering.”

However, she emphasized that safety requires action, not just words. "But safety for children requires more than words; it requires work, and while today’s announcements are a crucial first step for children’s survival—children who have been failed for too long as the world has watched—this survival will only be secured if it is followed by a definitive and lasting ceasefire."

She also highlighted accountability and the need to address root causes, saying: “The international community must come together to ensure that the atrocities that Palestinian children have endured over the past two years never happen again."

The remarks came after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas early Thursday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, based on a 20-point plan presented by US President Donald Trump.

The first phase of the plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners, gradual Israeli withdrawal from an agreed-upon line in Gaza, and the entry of humanitarian aid.

The deal followed days of negotiations in the Red Sea city, with senior officials from Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and the US joining the delegations.