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

Since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza in October, more than 30,631 Gazan Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond words. Nowhere and no one is safe,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres in a recent statement. “We cannot allow what has been happening in Gaza to continue.”

Join us in urging U.S. officials to call upon Israel to enact an immediate and lasting ceasefire, enable humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, and begin to address the root causes of the violence by ending the occupation and work towards a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, with security and human rights protected for all.

At this moment of particularly acute human need in Gaza, 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. Over two million Palestinians rely on UNRWA for critical necessities and services.

As the humanitarian situation in the territory grows increasingly dire, the Biden administration’s decision to suspend support for UNRWA in response to allegations that a number of its staff were involved in Hamas’s October 7th attacks will lead to even further starvation and disease among Gaza’s civilians. We affirm efforts to investigate these allegations, but denying resources to UNRWA amounts to collective punishment.

Civilian deaths continue to mount at an appalling rate and the lack of access to food, clean water and medical treatment is putting civilians at even greater risk. According to the United Nations, as of March 5th:

More than 30,631 Gazans have been killed and more than 70,042 reported injured
More than 70% of those killed thus far have been women and children
Of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza, more than 1.7 million, or 75% of its population, have been driven from their homes
2.2 million Gazans are at imminent risk of famine
Over 60% of Gaza’s housing units have been destroyed or damaged
Only 12 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are functional, albeit partially
100% of students are unable to access education and more than 240 teachers have been killed

So long as the fighting continues, no civilians in Gaza will be safe. The U.S. must use its leverage with the State of Israel to bring about an immediate and lasting ceasefire. 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 publicly call for a lasting ceasefire and promote the protection of civilian life in Gaza and call for the Biden administration to join with the international community in calls for a lasting ceasefire and the long-term pursuit of peace and protection of civilian life.

The devastating loss of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7 has overshadowed what had already been one of the deadliest years for both peoples in recent memory. While efforts must be intensified to halt the bloodshed and appeals made to all parties to respect international humanitarian law and firmly promote long-term diplomatic efforts, Congress has an important role to play in ensuring U.S. support for immediate solutions to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including by restoring full funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA).

Since October 7, approximately 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced within Gaza. Given that Gaza is sealed, there is no place for Gazans to move out of harm’s way. Over 30,631 civilians have been killed, over 70,042 injured and an overwhelming amount of vital civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed by the Israeli military. The lack of access to food, clean water and medical treatment in Gaza is catastrophic. 2.2 million Gazans are at imminent risk of famine.

I urge you to join those who have called for a lasting ceasefire. Further, I urge you to call upon the Biden administration to demonstrate moral leadership by calling for a lasting ceasefire and access to humanitarian aid.

I also unequivocally condemn Hamas’ vicious attack on Israel and call for the administration to urge Israel to prioritize the immediate release of all hostages in captivity through diplomatic engagement.

I join a growing chorus of voices, including many faith communities, who have spoken out since October 7 in appealing to you to:

Publicly call for an immediate lasting ceasefire, de-escalation and restraint by all parties
Support the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza including food, water, fuel and other life- saving items;
Publicly call on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law;
Prioritize steps to secure the immediate release of all hostages and to protect all civilians; and
Begin to address the root causes by ending the occupation and work towards a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, with security and human rights protected for all.

I urge you to publicly call for a lasting ceasefire, and promote respect for international law, protection of all civilian life, and the provision of humanitarian aid. 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 urge you to join with the international community in publicly calling for a lasting ceasefire and promoting the protection of civilian life in Gaza.

The devastating loss of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7 has overshadowed what had already been one of the deadliest years for both peoples in recent memory. I call on you to demonstrate U.S. global leadership by intensifying efforts to halt the bloodshed and appealing to all parties to respect international humanitarian law and promote long-term diplomatic efforts. In addition to the moral necessity of pursuing peace through a long-term diplomatic solution, your administration has a crucial role to play in immediately addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including by restoring full funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine.

I join a growing chorus of voices, including many faith communities, who have spoken out since October 7 in appealing to you to:

Publicly call for an immediate, lasting ceasefire, de-escalation and restraint by all parties
Support the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza including food, water, fuel and other life- saving items;
Publicly call on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law;
Prioritize steps to secure the immediate release of all hostages and to protect all civilians; and
Prioritize addressing the root causes of the violence by ending the occupation and work towards a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, with security and human rights protected for all.

Again, I urge you to show moral leadership by publicly calling for a lasting ceasefire, and promoting respect for international law, protection of all civilian life, and the provision of humanitarian aid. Thank you.”

3. Amplify on Social Media:
Share this message with national leaders on social media! See below for sample social media posts:

@legislator: Collective punishment is wrong and a violation of international law. It’s past time for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

@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.

@legislator: You have a moral obligation to help protect civilians and to support their access to food, water, and fuel in Gaza.

@legislator: Too many Gazans have been killed already. Failing to restore full funding to UNRWA would cost more civilians their lives.

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