TAKE ACTION: Urge U.S. Officials to Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Support Humanitarian Aid, and Protect Civilian Life


September 20, 2024

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. Now, in the aftermath of the horrendous October 7th Hamas attack against Israel, Gazans have been subjected to one of the most lethal conflicts in the 21st century. As of September 18th, 1.9 million people are internally displaced in Gaza and more than 41,272 Gazans have been killed – including at least 10,627 children.

On September 6, the UN Human Rights Chief issued a blunt call to action: “States must not – cannot – accept blatant disregard for international law.”

Humanitarian aid

Amid a devastating humanitarian crisis of violence, hunger, and disease, the United States’ decision to cut off funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has weakened the only organization equipped to provide the wide-scale humanitarian assistance that Gazans urgently need.

Once the largest donor to UNRWA, the U.S.’s suspension of aid has further eroded humanitarian infrastructure and amounts to collective punishment.

In response to allegations that twelve UNRWA aid workers were involved in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7th, the Biden administration suspended aid to the agency in February, a move Congress subsequently codified via an appropriations bill that cut off aid to UNRWA until at least March 2025. An outside review of the agency found robust internal mechanisms to ensure adherence to the humanitarian principle of neutrality, mechanisms determined to be more well-developed than other UN and NGO entities. The suspension of U.S. aid to UNRWA continues even as all other countries that initially paused their assistance have resumed their funding for the agency, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the European Commission, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and France.

On September 19th, Representatives Andre Carson, Pramila Jayapal, and Jan Schakowsky introduced the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024 (H.R 9649), which would repeal existing congressional prohibitions on U.S. support for UNRWA and urge the administration to immediately restore funding for the agency. Congress has a moral imperative to pass the legislation and restore U.S. support for UNRWA.

Mass violence and displacement

On May 6th, Israel launched an invasion of the southern city of Rafah, where more than one million people – many of whom had been displaced multiple times – had fled. Israel’s attack came after President Biden warned against the invasion and has continued even as the International Court of Justice strongly condemned the assault on Rafah.

Gaza’s borders remain largely sealed, leaving desperate civilians with nowhere safe to go. As Israeli forces restrict humanitarian aid, bombard civilian populations, and destroy life-sustaining infrastructure, the U.S. continues to provide weapons to the Israeli military. Ten experts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) concluded in April that Israel is violating international law and impeding the delivery of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid. Continued arms transfers from the U.S. to Israel violate a White House directive that governments must abide by international humanitarian law if they are to receive U.S. weapons. 

Starvation Amid Ongoing Aid Obstruction

Almost all people living in Gaza are facing acute food insecurity. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, “Israel has mounted a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” Gazans have access to just one meal every other day. In violation of international humanitarian law, Israel’s suppression of food aid has included attacks on humanitarian personnel. In early April, Israeli forces attacked and killed seven aid workers from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, adding to the staggering death toll of over 280 humanitarian aid workers killed in Gaza since October.

After Israeli forces shot at a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy on August 28th, WFP suspended staff movement in Gaza. Over two dozen international NGOs warn that should Israel continue to escalate restrictions on aid and displace Gazans into increasingly small areas, humanitarian operations in Gaza will collapse entirely. “If this continues on its current trajectory, it will severely impede aid operations to the point where delivering essential aid to civilians in Gaza will become impossible,” said Lulu Thapa, regional director for the Danish Refugee Council.

Disease and crumbling health care infrastructure

The deliberate targeting of healthcare infrastructure and personnel combined with malnutrition, decimated wastewater systems, inadequate safe drinking water and Israel’s systematic obstruction of aid have contributed to the rampant spread of infectious disease. On August 16th, the Gaza health ministry confirmed that a child contracted polio – the first confirmed case of the disease in Gaza in 25 years. Even though needed polio vaccines have reached Gaza, and initial efforts to vaccinate children have been effective so far, there is no guarantee that a vaccination campaign will succeed. To prevent the catastrophic spread of polio, children who need vaccines and aid workers who can administer them must be able to safely access health clinics, schools, and shelters.

As long as the bombardment continues – and schools, hospitals, and refugee camps remain targets – infectious diseases like polio present an existential threat to Palestinian civilians, especially children. “Ultimately, a ceasefire and free-flowing aid are the only definite ways to protect people,” says World Health Organization Secretary-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Take Action:

Join us in urging U.S. officials to call upon Israel and Hamas to enact an immediate, lasting ceasefire, support the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act to restore funding for lifesaving humanitarian aid, halt offensive weapons transfers to Israel, and address 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. No civilians in Gaza will be safe until the fighting ends and Gazans can access the lifesaving aid that they desperately need. Here are three ways to take action:

 

1. CONTACT YOUR TWO SENATORS AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY
On the right-hand side, you can send an email to the administration and 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 – representing a diverse spectrum of religious traditions, generations, and political beliefs – in appealing to you to:

  • Publicly call for an immediate and lasting bilateral ceasefire and the protection of all civilians.
  • Support the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024 (H.R. 9649) 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.
  • Support the suspension of military arms transfers to Israel while Israel violates the terms of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. I also urge you to support Senate Joint Resolutions 111, 112, 113, and 114, which collectively would block a recent $20 billion arms sale to the Government of Israel.
  • Increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to earnestly engage in negotiations that would end the violence in Gaza, decrease the risk of famine, release thousands of uncharged Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and release all hostages held in Gaza.
  • Urge the administration to continue to hold accountable individuals and entities that are involved in violence against civilians in the West Bank.
  • Support the protection of historic religious sites in Jerusalem and other contested areas, urging all parties to respect the religious liberty of all peoples and ensure that those who hold these sites sacred have fair access to them, regardless of religious tradition or citizenship status.
  • Actively call on the UN Security Council to enforce the International Court of Justice’s orders regarding Israel’s actions in Rafah, Gaza. The Court has ordered an immediate halt to military operations in Rafah, the opening of the Rafah border crossing for unhindered humanitarian relief, and access for UN fact finding bodies to investigate potential violations of the Genocide Conventions.
  • Begin to address the root causes of violence and displacement by ending the occupation and working towards a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, with security and human rights protected for all.

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. I urge you to support the introduction and passage of legislation reinstating U.S. funding for UNRWA.

I urge you to publicly call for a lasting ceasefire and promote respect for international humanitarian law, the protection of all civilian life, and the reinstatement of UNRWA funding. Thank you.”

2. CALL PRESIDENT BIDEN
You can call President Biden at 202-456-1111 or by using the tool on the right-hand side. Below is a script to guide your message:

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:

  • Publicly call for an immediate and lasting bilateral ceasefire and the protection of all civilians.
  • Call on Congress to pass the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024 to reinstate U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine, the only organization equipped to respond at scale to tremendous human need in Gaza.
  • Cease military arms transfers to Israel while Israel violates the terms of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
  • Begin to address the root causes of violence and displacement by ending the occupation and working towards a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and freedom.

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: Failing to restore full funding to UNRWA will cost more civilians their lives. Support the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024 (H.R. 9649)
  2. @legislator: Collective punishment is wrong and a violation of international law. It’s past time for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
  3. @POTUS: U.S. military assistance to Israel is contributing 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.
  4. @legislator: You have a moral obligation to help protect civilians and to support their access to food, water, and fuel in Gaza.

4. Support CWS’s 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 peaceful resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in accordance with international law and UN resolutions. 

Church World Service administers EAPPI-US (eappi.us) to send Ecumenical Accompaniers from the United States of America to participate in the program. Ecumennical 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. 

Additional Resources: