Ceasefire enables expanded aid delivery to Gaza: spokeswoman

China

Ceasefire enables expanded aid delivery to Gaza: spokeswoman

2025-10-16 22:10 Last Updated At：10-17 13:37

The ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas has allowed humanitarian workers to scale up aid delivery to displaced Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip, Olga Cherevko, spokeswoman of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, said on Tuesday.

The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt, went into effect last Friday after more than two years of Israeli bombardments that caused famine, left the enclave in ruins, and killed almost 70,000 people, with the UN, academic experts and international aid groups warning Israel may have committed genocide and other crimes against humanity.

For now, however, international bodies are focused on providing long-overdue aid for the enclave's suffering population.

"So, the last few days we have seen a lot of positive changes in the situation. With the ceasefire, it has offered us an opportunity to scale up our assistance the way that we haven't been able to do before. With the access impediments, many of them have now been removed. We can reach areas that we couldn't reach before. So, when I talk to people now, there is a lot of positive thoughts, a lot of thinking about the future, something that people weren't doing before. They are now finally able to go back to places from which they were displaced, they can open shops, they are discussing what they will do next month, next year, and so forth. And there is just a general positive outlook on life, because now we have this ceasefire and we have this really great opportunity to scale up," said Cherevko.

On Tuesday, the OCHA said Israeli authorities allowed 817 truckloads of relief into Gaza on Sunday. On that day, Cherevko was on the site and witnessed the steady flow of aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing reaching Gaza.

"In terms of humanitarian aid, I was in Kerem Shalom on Sunday. I spent all day there, and I saw many, many trucks getting loaded, approaching Kerem Shalom empty, then they were loaded, then they would leave, and more would come, and this continued all day long. Many supplies entered. I saw things like even frozen meat. I saw fresh produce, bananas, potatoes, these kinds of things. There was of course also a lot of flour, a lot of regular food parcels, also medical supplies, assistance and shelter supplies. We saw tents. We saw tarps. So, all of the things that we need to prioritize the most vulnerable," Cherevko said.

With relaxed restrictions following the ceasefire, aid workers have moved quickly to take advantage of streamlined entry.

"What we have seen also in the past few days is the ease with which we can move around. So, when I came to Kerem Shalom, we received the green light instantaneously, and so, it was very easy to move, it was very easy to come back. And this is something that we're seeing more with these restrictions being relaxed. So, we're really looking forward to harnessing this opportunity and making sure that we don't waste any time to bring all these supplies every day to deliver them to the people in need. So, we'll be focusing on specifically vulnerable groups to make sure that they receive the assistance that they need to receive," said Cherevko.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.