The cease-fire unilaterally implemented by Israel, Hamas, and other Palestinian factions since 18 January is partially holding. Tens thousands of Gazans remain homeless, with most staying with relatives or other host families. Gaza water and sanitation conditions, which had severely deteriorated during the Israeli offensive, have somewhat improved. As a whole, the population of Gaza is receiving approximately 84% of its electricity needs. NGOs continued to face difficulty accessing the Gaza Strip to carryout humanitarian work. The higher numbers of truckloads entering Gaza since 28 December 2008 continued during the reporting period. Protests against the Barrier and the Israeli Gaza offensive continued in the West Bank villages of Ni'lin, Bil'in (Ramallah), Jayyus (Qalqiliya) and Ma'sara (Bethlehem). In northern West Bank, Israeli authorities renewed the orders issued for requisitioning the land on which the Barrier was built.
The area between the Barrier and the Green Line has
been closed since October 2003. According to research conducted by OCHA and UNRWA, only
about 20% of those who used to work the land in this area now receive permits.
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