#CeasefireNow: Open Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel to Stop the Humanitarian Catastrophe and Further Loss of Innocent Lives
We have witnessed unfathomable death and destruction in the Gaza Strip and Israel. Thousands of people have been killed, injured, displaced, and nearly two hundred remain held hostage, including children and elderly.
As a result of the siege imposed by Israel, Gaza is suffering from a severe food shortage. The hostilities have caused severe damage to Gaza’s agriculture and food production sectors, limiting local production at scale. Gaza's entire population is currently classified as facing either crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Famine-like conditions in Gaza are caused by Israel’s failure to ensure complete and unfettered access to humanitarian goods throughout Gaza.
Neighbourhoods have been destroyed and turned into complete rubble. Palestinians in search of safety have nowhere to go. Many of those who relocated from northern Gaza to the south after the relocation order by the Israeli army were reportedly bombed as they attempted to flee or once they arrived in southern Gaza.
Today, we put our voices together and call on all Heads of State, the UN Security Council, and actors on the ground, to prioritize the preservation of human life above all else. During this ceasefire, we call on all parties to unconditionally:
- Facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance, including food, medical supplies, fuel, and the resumption of electricity and internet to Gaza, in addition to safe passage of humanitarian and medical staff
- Free all civilian hostages, especially children and elderly
- Allow humanitarian convoys to reach UN facilities, schools, hospitals, and health facilities in northern Gaza and commit to protecting them along with the civilians and staff inside them at all times
- Rescind orders by the Government of Israel for civilians to depart northern Gaza
- Allow patients in critical condition to be medically evacuated for urgent care
The UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General and all world leaders with influence must take immediate action to ensure a ceasefire comes into effect. It remains our only option to avert further loss of civilian life and humanitarian catastrophe. Anything less will forever be a stain on our collective conscience.
Civilians are not bargaining chips. Families need a chance to bury and mourn their dead. The cycle of violence against innocent civilians needs to stop.
