TAKE ACTION: Urge U.S. Officials to Restore Humanitarian Aid, Condemn Violence, and Protect Human Life in Gaza

For decades, Palestinians have lived under occupation, facing violence, human rights abuses, systematic violations of international humanitarian law, and denial of their right to self-determination. After over a year of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians in the aftermath of the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack against Israel, Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to one of the most lethal campaigns of violence in the 21st century.

As of March 25th, 1.9 million people are internally displaced in Gaza and more than 50,144 Gazans have been killed – including at least 15,613 children. On January 15th, the Israeli government and Hamas announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement. By March 2nd, Israel violated the ceasefire agreement by blocking all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Israeli forces further eroded the ceasefire on March 18th by launching a deadly attack on Gaza, where it has continued to bombard civilian infrastructure.

The Israeli blockade of desperately-needed food, water, and medicine continues, with its defense minister recently stating that: “Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza.” At the same time, Israeli forces have created military buffer zones covering 30% of Gaza’s territory and prominent Israeli leaders continue to promote plans to permanently annex Gaza.

In a similar vein, President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed that the U.S. will “take over” Gaza, displace all of its more than 2 million Palestinian residents and turn the land into real estate development. To do so “would return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest,” a group of United Nations experts said in a statement. “Just as over half a century of Israeli occupation of Palestine has not brought peace or security to Israel or Palestine, US occupation would be similarly ruinous and fuel perpetual war, death and destruction.”

To learn more about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, see CWS’s Factsheet on Gaza and the West Bank.

Take Action

Join us in urging U.S. officials to:

Restore United States funding for lifesaving humanitarian aid.
Vote in favor of the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on the sales of arms to Israel
Condemn violence against civilians in the West Bank.
Address the root causes of violence and forced displacement by ending the occupation and working toward a future in which all Palestinians and Israelis live in peace and freedom.

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:

Cosponsor the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025 (H.R. 2411/S. 898) to reinstate U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA). As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) is the only organization equipped to provide the wide-scale humanitarian assistance that Gazans urgently need. Depriving UNRWA of funding imperils civilians’ access to food and medical care and amounts to collective punishment.
Condemn acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank.
Vote in favor of the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on the sales of arms to Israel. Both the Senate (Senate Joint Res. 32, 33, 34, 35) and the House of Representatives (House Joint Res. 68, 69, 70, 71) are considering new Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on the sales of arms to Israel.
Publicly call for the administration to urge Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities, allow for the entry of humanitarian aid, and uphold the terms of the bilateral ceasefire.

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/Email: My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and 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:

Reinstate U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine is the only organization equipped to provide the wide-scale humanitarian assistance that Gazans urgently need. Depriving the agency of funding imperils civilians’ access to food and medical care, and amounts to collective punishment.
Condemn acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank.
Urge Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities, allow for the entry of humanitarian aid, and uphold the terms of the 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:

@legislator: Failing to restore full funding to UNRWA will cost more civilians their lives. Support the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025!
@legislator: Collective punishment is wrong and a violation of international law. Palestinians need peace, freedom, and access to humanitarian aid NOW.
@POTUS: U.S. military assistance to Israel contributes to the suffering and death of civilians in Gaza. I urge you to call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, secure the release of hostages, and protect civilian life.
@legislator: You have a moral obligation to help protect civilians and support their access to food, water, and fuel in Gaza.

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.

To apply to be an Ecumenical Accompanier: eappi.us/apply
To support an Ecumenical Accompanier: eappi.us/support

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