GOOD EVENING I'M JOHN YANG.

IN THE MIDDLE EAST TONIGHT, EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO RESOLVE A DISPUTE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS OVER A FEMALE HOSTAGE HAMAS SAID THEY'D RELEASE YESTERDAY, BUT DIDN'T.

THAT LED ISRAEL TO PREVENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS FROM RETURNING TO NORTHERN GAZA.

NOW, ACCORDING TO REPORTS, HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHADISTS SAID SHE COULD BE RELEASED THIS WEEK.

THIS AS PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTED THAT EGYPT AND JORDAN TAKE IN MORE PALALTINIANS IN ORDER TO "CLEAN OUT GAZA," AN IDEA JORDAN REJECTED AND EGYPT IS UNLIKELY TO ACCEPT.

FOR NOW, THE DELICATE CEASEFIRE IS ALLOWING FOOD AND SUPPLIES TO FLOW INTO GAZA, BUT AFTER 15 MONTHS OF WAR THE NEED IS GREAT AND THE SITUATION REMAINS DIRE FOR GAZANS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH FOR CHILDREN.

ROSALIA BOLLEN OF UNICEF SPOKE TO ALI ROGIN FROM INSIDE GAZA, WHERE HER ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN HELPING FAMILIES SINCE THE WAR BEGAN.

ALI: ROSALIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE IN GAZA THESE DAYS?

ROSALIA: THE BOMBINGS, THE EXPLOSIONS, THE VIOLENCE HAS HAD STOPS, BUT THE DEEP DEPRIVATION, THAT FAMILES FACE HERE DOES CONTINUE.

CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE IN NEED OF ABOUT EVERYTHING, REALLY.

THE MOMENT I STEP OUT OF THE COMPOUND, THE UNICEF COMPOUND HERE IN AMAWASI, I SEE MAKESHIFT TENTS AS FAR AS THE EYE STRETCHES, TENTS MADE OF CLOTHES, PLASTIC SHEETING, IMPROVISED.

THE DEPRIVATION IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO THE SHELTER SITUATION.

THERE'S GARBAGE LITTERED ALL OVER GAZA.

THERE'S RAW SEWAGE FLOATING THROUGH AREAS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SET UP THEIR TENTS.

DISEASES ARE RAMPANT.

I SEE PLENTY OF CHILDREN WITH SKIN RASH, CHILDREN COUGHING.

PARENTS TELL ME THEIR KIDS HAVE DIARRHEA.

SO THERE'S LOTS OF SUFFERING THERE, TOO.

IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THE RUBBLE, ALL SORTS OF SHARP OBJECTS, BECAUSE OF THE GARBAGE AND THE OPEN SEWAGE.

KIDS ARE ROAMING AROUND IN THAT ALL DAY LONG.

THAT'S NOT AN ENVIRONMENT FOR, FOR ANY CHILD TO BE IN.

THEY'RE REALLY EXPOSED TO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF DANGERS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

ALI: IS IT POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE NEED THAT CURRENTLY IS THE GREATEST?

ROSALIA: BEYOND THE SORT OF CROSS-CUTTING LIVING CONDITIONS, PROTECTION FROM THE COLD, WARM SHELTER, ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS MEALS, CLEAN WATER AND HEALTH CARE.

I'D SAY THAT CHILDREN'S SUFFERING ISN'T JUST PHYSICAL, IT'S ALSO PSYCHOLOGICAL.

EVERY SINGLE CHILD I COME ACROSS HAS A STORY OF LOSS OR OF DEEP TRAUMA.

KIDS IN GAZA HAVE WITNESSED THINGS THAT NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO WITNESS REALLY.

CHILDREN HAVE SPOKEN TO ME ABOUT DEATHS, ABOUT THE ONES THAT THEY'VE LOST, ABOUT BEING AFRAID TO DIE THEMSELVES.

THERE WAS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY WHOM I MET WHO SURVIVED A BOMBING ON HIS HOME.

HOWEVER, HE SUSTAINED A SKULL FRACTURE THAT MADE HIM BLIND.

HIS EYES WENT TO HEAVEN BEFORE HE DID.

THAT'S HOW HE PUT IT TO ME.

AND SO THESE CHILDREN ARE IN DIRE NEED OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT.

ALI: WE HEAR WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A CONSTANT DRONE IN YOUR IN YOUR BACKGROUND.

ARE THOSE AIRPLANES?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THE SOUNDS THAT CHILDREN AND EVERYBODY ARE EXPERIENCING CONSTANTLY?

ROSALIA: THE SOUND OF THE DRONES FLYING OVER IS REALLY A CONSTANT.

IT'S ALMOST AS IF IT'S WHITE NOISE.

IT IS THERE PERMANENTLY.

WITH THE CEASE-FIRE NOW, IT DOES BRIEFLY STOP THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THEN IT COMES BACK.

SO IT'S IT'S A SOUND THAT IS OMNIPRESENT THAT CHILDREN FIND VERY OMINOUS AND VERY, VERY SCARY.

IT'S ONE OF THE DEFINING SOUNDS OF THIS WAR, REALLY.

ALI: WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS STAGE WHERE A CEASE FIRE HAS BEEN DECLARED.

HOW IS THE CEASE FIRE TRANSLATING INTO THE REFUGEES, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE WITH ON A DAILY BASIS?

ROSALIA: IT HAS LARGELY HALTED THE KILLINGS AND THE MAIMING OF CHILDREN HERE IN GAZA.

THIS UNDERLINES THAT THIS CEASE FIRE IS VITAL FOR SAVING CHILDREN'S LIVES, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THAT REASON THAT IT'S A LASTING CEASE FIRE.

IT'S BEEN 15 VERY LONG MONTHS FOR CHILDREN HERE IN GAZA AND FOR THE HOSTAGES AND THE FAMILIES OF THE HOSTAGES.

IN TERMS OF HOW IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED, THERE'S LOTS OF MIXED FEELINGS AMONG THE ADULTS.

THE CHILDREN ARE FILLED WITH HOPE.

THERE'S ONE BOY WHO WAS DESCRIBING TO ME A PLAYGROUND RIGHT OPPOSITE HIS HOUSE AND HOW HE'S JUST LONGING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT PARTICULAR PLAYGROUND AND PLAY FOOTBALL AND GO USE THE SWINGS.

I'VE TRAVELED A LOT THROUGHOUT GAZA THESE PAST FOUR MONTHS, AND I WAS ACTUALLY QUITE HEARTBROKEN HEARING THESE CHILDREN TALK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THEY CAN'T WAIT TO DO BECAUSE THE DEVASTATION IN GAZA IS VERY EXTENSIVE IN SOME AREAS.

FOR INSTANCE, IN KHAN YUNIS IN RAFAH.

WHEN YOU SEE THE LANDSCAPE, IT'S AS IF THERE'S BEEN A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE.

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE STRUCTURE THAT IS STILL STANDING.

AND KIDS ARE JUST SO MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO LEAVING ALL OF THAT BEHIND.

BUT WHETHER THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE.

SINCE THE START OF THE CEASE FIRE, ALL HUMANITARIAN AID AGENCIES HAVE ENORMOUSLY ACCELERATED THE INFLOW OF AID SUPPLIES, INCLUDING UNICEF.

SO THAT'S A GOOD START.

THAT INFLOW HAS TO BE SUSTAINED.

BUT HUMANITARIAN AID WILL GET THESE PEOPLE ONLY SO FAR IF IT IS DIRELY NEEDED.

AND WHATEVER IS COMING IN, I AM CONVINCED, PERSONALLY WILL SAVE LIVES BECAUSE THE NEEDS ARE SO HIGH.

ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE NEED IS ALSO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE IN GAZA SO THAT FAMILIES CAN ACCESS FRESH PRODUCE IN THE MARKETS.

WE NEED THE RUBBLE TO BE REMOVED.

FAMILIES NEED TO BE ABLE TO TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES AND LEAVE THE TENTS BEHIND.

ALL OF THAT WILL TAKE TIME.

BUT THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE INSIDE GAZA DESPITE THE CEASE FIRE.

THE ROAD CONDITIONS ARE VERY POOR.

THERE'S LOTS OF CONGESTION.

THERE'S RISK OF UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE.

THERE'S RISK ALSO OF LOOTING BY CRIMINAL GROUPS.

SO THERE'S ALL SORTS OF CONSTRAINTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FOR US TO HAVE UNFETTERED ACCESS.

ALI: ROSALIA BOLEN WITH UNICEF, THANK YOU.