Palestinian lives depend on those negotiating a Gaza ceasefire as they face famine and threat of Israeli assault

People sheltering in Rafah and families across the Strip face catastrophe, writes Bel Trew

Displaced Palestinian children on Tuesday queue for food at a camp in Rafah (Reuters)

Palestinian families living in tents off humanitarian aid in Rafah – where a 1kg bag of flour (if you can find one) now costs nearly £40 – know their lives are literally in the hands of those negotiating a truce thousands of miles away.

Most of the people in this overcrowded city bordering Egypt have already been displaced because of the intense fighting and vast destruction in Gaza caused by Israel. Families live on the streets, in school and hospital courtyards or in the squares.

There are no basements to seek shelter in, few walls to crouch behind. There is nowhere to run, there is nowhere to hide.