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A spokesman for Gaza civil defense told Al Jazeera today that, as of 16:30 GMT, at least 116 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire agreement was announced on Jan. 15. The toll includes at least 30 children, 32 women. Another 265 people have been wounded. If anything, the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, especially in the central region of the strip, has intensified since the ceasefire announcement.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, issued a statement calling for a massive increase of humanitarian aid to address the crushing impact of more than 15 months of all-out war.

“The announcement of a provisional ceasefire deal in Gaza offers hope for a vital respite from a devastating war, though it comes tragically late,” said MSF USA chief executive officer Avril Benoît. “Our teams have witnessed and experienced immense suffering and the loss of countless lives. While we look forward to seeing the agreement signed and implemented, we call for this fragile relief to be more than a pause, so that people can rebuild their lives, reclaim their dignity, and mourn those killed and all that’s been lost in over a year of war.”

“A massive, urgent scale-up of humanitarian aid is needed to meet the catastrophic humanitarian and medical needs of people,” Benoît added. “While the ceasefire must be sustained, it is only the first step in addressing the overwhelming humanitarian, psychological, and medical needs in Gaza. We urge all parties to ensure humanitarian aid reaches people across the Gaza Strip now.”

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