{
  "id": 19436674,
  "title": "Peace must not get bogged down in Gaza's winter mud",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/peace-must-not-get-bogged-down-in-gazas-winter-mud-19436674",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-11T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/editorial/2026/11/11/gaza-palestine-israel-board-of-peace-trump-us-washington/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The tragic loss of five lives, including three young children, in a tent collapse in Deir Al Balah underscores the harsh reality that, despite a ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure life in dire conditions. Displaced civilians are now facing the added threat of winter and flooding, which have turned makeshift homes into life-threatening environments. The international community must not allow this ongoing suffering to go unnoticed without prompt action.\n\nOver 70,000 tents have been inundated throughout Gaza, with water levels reaching up to a meter in some camps. Civil defense teams have received more than 2,100 distress calls during recent storms but were only able to respond to 218, due to a shortage of personnel and equipment. The lack of heavy machinery, allegedly restricted by Israeli authorities, has further impeded rescue efforts and the restoration of damaged areas.\n\nThe dire situation, while compounded by weather, is a direct result of a ceasefire that has yet to provide fundamental necessities like safety and a dignified existence. In September, Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza under the Board of Peace, had warned of the potential dangers another winter could bring, a warning that has proven accurate.\n\nHowever, there is a chance to change course. The political uncertainty surrounding the incoming Israeli government, coupled with indications that US President Donald Trump is advocating for Israel to take additional measures towards his Gaza peace plan, should prompt greater focus in Washington. President Trump played a crucial role in brokering the ceasefire, and as the overseer of the Board of Peace, he holds the influence and responsibility to ensure the agreement transcends the realm of mere paper.\n\nYet, this burden cannot be shouldered by the US alone. All countries and international bodies that participated in and signed the Sharm El Sheikh agreement establishing the Gaza ceasefire, need to visibly contribute to alleviating the human suffering gripping the Palestinian territory. The Palestinian authorities must continue to advocate for their citizens, despite the challenges they face.\n\nPolitical shifts in the US and Israel may present an opportunity to alter the trajectory. While any successor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot be judged solely on their political affiliation, they must demonstrate tangible improvements in humanitarian access, removal of restrictions on essential supplies and equipment, increased Palestinian mobility, and the commencement of a credible reconstruction program. Failure to achieve a breakthrough could render the two-state solution \"practically impossible,\" as Mladenov cautioned at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi two months ago. The future of peace must not be allowed to be submerged in Gaza's winter mud.",
  "summary": "The deaths of five people, including three children, in a tent collapse in Deir Al Balah are a terrible reminder that, for Palestinians in Gaza, an ostensible ceasefire has yet to bring anything like a normal life. For hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, the arrival of winter and associated flooding have brought additional threats to their survival and misery to their daily routines in…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Under criticism, PM’s office insists winter supplies entering Gaza but Hamas must disarm before reconstruction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/under-criticism-pms-office-insists-winter-supplies-entering-gaza-but",
        "published": "2026-11-10T23:02:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "‘All I can do is hug my children and cry’: Palestinians in Gaza face deadly winter floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/all-i-can-do-is-hug-my-children-and-cry-palestinians-in-gaza-face",
        "published": "2026-11-11T00:53:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "UK Foreign Secretary calls out Israel for Gaza winter conditions, demands additional aid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/uk-foreign-secretary-calls-out-israel-for-gaza-winter-conditions",
        "published": "2026-11-11T02:04:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}