Palestinians inspect the location of an Israeli air strike in Rafah. Mohammed Zaanoun
Yesterday the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of a resolution supporting a three-phase cease-fire proposal between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has accepted the resolution and says it is ready to cooperate with mediators and enter into negotiations. This is a positive development and a critical step towards ending violence and genocide. But it will only be a significant step if Israel accepts the proposal as well.
Similar resolutions passed by the UN have been disregarded entirely. The U.S., the international community, and grassroots and civil society organizations must do everything in their power to get Israel to comply, and open a transparent investigation of all violations of International Humanitarian Law. We continue to call on President Biden to take all steps – including instituting an arms embargo on Israel – in order to bring about a permanent cease-fire.
The resolution comes just days after the Israeli military conducted a massacre at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 274 Palestinians and wounding more than 600. Civilians were killed by bombs from the air and shot by IDF soldiers seemingly at random as they searched the buildings. Then Israel bombed dozens of homes in the area, burying the dead under the rubble.
The stated purpose for the raid was to rescue four Israeli hostages, who have now been reunited with their families. We support freedom for all people held captive, including all Palestinians unjustly detained and incarcerated. The fastest and safest way to free people from captivity is a permanent cease-fire.
Until a permanent cease-fire is in place and we begin to address the root causes of this violence, there will be no safe place in Gaza.
No child should ever have to witness what Palestinian children have been forced to endure. No one should lose their loved ones under the rubble. No one should face the annihilation of their land, their families, and their way of life. We must continue to resist, to show solidarity, and to build a better future for Palestine and for all people.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.