![During a brief 12 cessation of hostilities, families returned to Shujaiya in eastern Gaza, scene of
some of the heaviest Israeli bombing. Thousands of families fled the area and were only now
able to return to see the massive damage to homes and infrastructure, and search for the
bodies of missing family members. About 150 bodies were uncovered from beneath the rubble,
bringing the death toll over 1,000. Photo: Iyad al Baba/Oxfam. Photo: Iyad al Baba/Oxfam](https://oxfamautest.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Gaza_Ceasefire-blog_800x533-700x450.jpg)
Gaza Crisis: Open letter to Julie Bishop
On 20 August 2014, twelve of Australia’s biggest international humanitarian and development agencies wrote to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, calling on the Australian Government to urgently push for a permanent ceasefire in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.