CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
The last couple of weeks have been heartbreaking, as we follow what is happening in Gaza.
Rashida Tlaib (Michigan 12th District) is saying: ”After dropping 12,000 tons of bombs on Gaza—the size of the nuclear bomb that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima—the Israeli military said it was “expanding” ground invasion actions yesterday, then destroyed Gaza’s Internet and phone service."
Every night the bombing seems stronger than the previous night and it is continuing non-stop despite all the cries for Ceasefire. 1.5 million people demonstrated in London, England, and 1 million in Istanbul Turkey; thousands who marched and demonstrated in most of the major capitals of the world in Malaysia, France, Belgium, Australia, Morocco, Spain… 200 Jews were arrested wearing black T-shirts saying :”Not in my name” and “Cease-Fire” in the Central Station, New York.
There are now estimated to be near 8000 killed in Gaza, of whom are 40% children.
On the Israeli’s side there are 222 people taken hostage, who are prisoners “in the tunnels of Gaza.” 4 hostages have been released. The families are worried, afraid, “devastated.” They have created a community support center so they can have ”a hostage daily forum.” They have been campaigning to release their children and to process their pain. Hamas says all the hostages will be released when all the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel are released from Israeli prisons and administrative detention..
But Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, says that his first priority is to defeat Hamas, his second is to release the hostages. The Israelis are on an “expanding mission to destroy Gaza.” It seems by watching YouTube videos what they are doing is called “carpet bombing.” They appear to want to clear Gaza from its population. We have to remember that some of our members alerted us to the fact that there are important resources of oil that have been found recently in the sea near Gaza…
A week ago, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: “I reiterate my strong appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, together with the unconditional release of hostages and the delivery of relief at a level corresponding to the dramatic needs of the people in Gaza, where a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes.”
120 governments have voted for a resolution at the United Nations calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza. Australia abstained with 14 other countries including Israel and the United States, because this document did not name “Hamas” as the perpetrator of the attack of October 7, 2023 which initiated this current war. Australia did support the aim of the resolution which called for food, water and medicine to reach Gazans.
We also have to remember that for 75 years Palestinians have endured displacement, restricted movements, and since thew 1967 occupation they have lived under harsher conditions: check points, discrimination, housing destructions, arbitrary imprisonment of children and adults, being shot by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
Ceasefire would bring the important time off to rethink sanely what to do and attend to help the Gazans who are living in horrid conditions now.
ACTION:
Most of our members, we would hope, have called their Representatives to call for the Ceasefire and for humanitarian aid. It would be important for our members to call their representatives to ask them to support the ceasefire started by Representative Rashida Tlaib. This resolution has 17 co-sponsors. Please multiply messages to Congressional Representatives and Senators.
https://bush.house.gov/imo/media/doc/bushceasefirenowresolution.pdf
