Horrific situation

Palestinians say that more than 400 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli military offensive. The most deadly attack so far happened in the Shijaiyah suburb of Gaza City, where dozens were killed and hundreds injured over the weekend.

Even a two-hour ceasefire in the area, to allow helpers to recover the dead and care for seriously injured, didn't hold.

Without ceasefires, aid organizations have no way of continuing their work. Since the start of fighting, many have withdrawn their workers from conflict zones, because they are increasingly coming into the line of fire.

Barely water, no power

Theo Alexopoulos, an emergency aid coordinator for the aid organization Care, says that the situation in Gaza is horrific, and that help is desperately needed. Clean water is scarce, there is no electricity, and the communication network is not functioning properly.

The wounded - among them many women and children - can no longer be cared for properly, and buildings are being destroyed all over. "There is panic in the streets," said Alexopoulos. "The medical infrastructure is completely overstrained and on the verge of collapse."

Ambulances often cannot find their way through to the wounded because of blocked roads or because drivers don't want to go through the hail of shells. Many of the wounded drag themselves to hospital. One doctor at Shifa Hospital in the center of Gaza City told the AFP news agency "This is the worst I've ever seen."

Care currently has 12 people working in Gaza. More are on standby in case a ceasefire is implemented. If they entered Gaza now, their lives would be in danger - the people of Gaza, in contrast, have no escape. "They're caught there," he said.

Many no longer even have a home. According to the United Nations, 1,370 homes in Gaza have been destroyed - 20,000 people are now refugees, and seeking shelter with relatives and friends. One of Care's workers is currently living in a house with 60 other people, said Alexopoulos.

Ceasefire broken

Nadia Didsy, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, is horrified by the extent to which civilians and vital infrastructure is being targeted in these attacks. "Our helpers in Gaza report that many areas are under intense fire now," she said.

"The ground offensive is threatening the lives of tens of thousands of civilians." The Red Cross, she added, is working round the clock, mainly trying to tend to the countless wounded. "But it is difficult, because of the many security limitations and the continuing fighting."

Sunday's (20.07.2014) ceasefire had been negotiated by the Red Cross and was meant to start at 12:30 p.m. But one hour after the official announcement, the Israeli army broke it - a military spokesman said it reacted to "shooting from Hamas" and "returned fire."

Alexopoulos is doubtful about what could have been achieved in two hours anyway. "That was a very, very small window of time," he said. "You can't do much in two hours."