TAKE ACTION: Urge U.S. Officials to Stop Famine and Save Lives in Gaza


July 31, 2025

Right now, Gazans are dying of starvation as Israel continues to block food from entering the Gaza Strip. The United Nations reports that a “worst case scenario of famine” is underway.

Church World Service recently joined Churches for Middle East Peace and a diverse coalition of 114 other faith-based organizations and humanitarian actors in urging governments around the world to “act now to save lives before there are none left to save.”

The 400 aid distribution points that the UN previously operated inside Gaza have now been replaced with just four distribution sites controlled by Israeli forces, forcing Palestinians in search of food to crowd into dangerous and heavily militarized zones. 

Israel’s implementation of daily “tactical pauses” have proven vastly insufficient to allow food to enter Gaza at the scale needed to save lives, and Israeli forces continue to fire on people waiting for food, including children.

In fact, the UN says that since May, Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 people seeking food aid. Doctors and journalists report struggling to do their jobs as they face the possibility of losing their lives to hunger or airstrikes.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister of Defense has outlined plans to force upwards of 600,000 Palestinian civilians into an Israeli-controlled militarized area in southern Gaza. These civilians would not be allowed to leave the “humanitarian city” or return to their homes in other parts of Gaza. Churches for Middle East Peace has condemned the plan as a form of ethnic cleansing and a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

An urban area decimated

Here are four ways to take action –

1. CONTACT YOUR TWO SENATORS AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY
On the right-hand side, you can send an email to your Members of Congress.

Sample Script/Email: My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge you to immediately take action to protect human life in Gaza. I join a growing chorus of voices from around the U.S. and the world in appealing to you to:

  • Publicly condemn Israel’s campaign of starvation in Gaza and urge the Trump administration to demand that the Israeli government immediately allow sufficient food aid to enter Gaza and allow humanitarian actors to distribute aid according to global best practices.
  • Cosponsor the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) to limit U.S. offensive military aid to Israel. This bill would stop the transfer of United States defense articles and services to the Israeli government and armed forces, which the Israeli government continues to use to commit atrocities against Palestinian people.
  • Publicly call for the administration to urge Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities and release all hostages.

Your support for these measures brings us closer to addressing the root causes of violence and forced displacement by ending the occupation and working towards a future in which all Palestinians and Israelis live in peace and freedom. Thank you.

2. CALL PRESIDENT TRUMP
You can call President Trump at 202-456-1414 or by using the tool on the right-hand side. 

Sample Script: My name is [insert name] from [City/Town] and as a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I join a growing chorus of voices urging you to immediately take action to protect human life in Gaza. Specifically, I implore you to:

  • Demand the Israeli government immediately allow food aid to enter Gaza and ensure humanitarian actors can distribute food assistance according to global best practices.
  • Support the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) to limit U.S. offensive military aid to Israel.
  • Urge Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities, allow for the entry of humanitarian aid, and agree to a bilateral ceasefire.

It is incumbent upon the U.S. to demonstrate clear moral leadership by acting immediately to protect human life, uphold international humanitarian law, and seek long-term peace in Gaza and throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. Thank you.

3. AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Share this message with national leaders on social media. See below for sample social media posts:

  1. @legislator: Gazans are starving. Israel must allow sufficient food aid to enter Gaza NOW.
  2. @legislator: Support the Block the Bombs Act to end U.S. complicity in Israel’s campaign of mass violence against Palestinians.
  3. @POTUS: U.S. military assistance to Israel contributes to the suffering and death of civilians in Gaza. I urge you to support the Block the Bombs Act.
  4. @legislator: As children die hungry in Gaza, you have a moral obligation to call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, secure the release of hostages, and protect civilian life.

4. SUPPORT CWS’ PRESENCE IN PALESTINE

In partnership with U.S. national churches, Church World Service supports the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), a program of the World Council of Churches. EAPPI contributes to an end of the occupation and encourages a just and peaceful resolution in accordance with international law and UN resolutions. 

Church World Service administers EAPPI-US to send Ecumenical Accompaniers from the United States to participate in the program. Ecumenical Accompaniers live in Jerusalem and the West Bank for a three-month term, monitor and report human rights abuses, and support Palestinians and Israelis working together for a just peace. 

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