Friends,
One thing has become all too clear over the past few weeks of horrific violence and suffering: It’s absolutely critical – but exceedingly difficult and rare – to appreciate and defend the humanity of the people on both sides of this conflict.
On October 7, we woke up to a nightmare. Hamas’ attack on Israel was a crime against humanity. Entire families slaughtered. Peaceful communities destroyed. Babies and Holocaust survivors taken hostage.
In the days that followed, Israel responded with air, sea and now ground attacks aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable and removing Hamas from operational control of Gaza. In our view, the Israeli government has a right to defend its citizens and to respond to Hamas’ horrific crimes.
We also know that families in Gaza should not be made to pay the price for Hamas’ attack.
The Israel-Hamas war has taken an unimaginable toll on civilians in Gaza. The stories and pictures are horrifying.
Medical teams conducting surgery by flashlight, sterilizing injuries with kitchen vinegar. Doctors seeing their own children wheeled into the ER with lethal injuries. First responders reaching collapsed apartment buildings in darkness, listening to the cries of those trapped beneath the rubble.
Just today, Israeli forces confirmed that they bombed the Jabalia refugee camp, the largest refugee camp in Gaza. In a strike targeting a Hamas commander, dozens of Palestinian civilians were reported killed and well over 100 injured.
The terrible scenes coming out of Jabalia and other parts of Gaza are a stark reminder that more can and must be done to push for an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting in order to protect hostages and civilians in Gaza, and allow relief agencies to provide food, water, medicine, fuel and shelter.
Friends: Can you read and sign our petition to Congress calling for more action?
Congress: Support A Humanitarian Pause, Restore Water & Power
✍️ Click to add your name >>
The Biden Administration is rightly pressing Israeli authorities to fully restore communications, water and electricity to Palestinian civilians in Gaza – and to immediately allow the entry of trucks filled with sufficient food, water and lifesaving supplies that have lined up at the border. The flow of aid must go much further.
The administration and a growing number of congressional leaders have urged a humanitarian pause in hostilities to allow families to reach safety, to support progress in hostage negotiations, and to allow aid organizations to save lives and keep families safe.
Friends – We need all responsible voices in Congress to unite behind these efforts. Add your name to our petition here.
As former President Obama, Israeli security experts, and US veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have made clear in recent days, addressing the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is not just a question of standing up for our shared humanity and core values – it’s a strategic imperative.
Continuing this scale of destruction will prove deeply corrosive to the relationships Israel needs to protect its citizens, defeat Hamas and prevent future attacks.
The appalling rhetoric from some Israeli officials who have called for “bombing without distinction,” “destruction rather than accuracy” or have even said the children of Gaza “brought this upon themselves” must be forcefully rejected.
As friends of Israel, we must push for a responsible, pragmatic and humane response that does not repeat the many mistakes made in our own nation’s response to 9/11 and subsequent “war on terror.”
As Israel rightly takes on the monstrous threat of Hamas, we must insist that international law is upheld and civilians are protected. The situation in Gaza is spiraling toward unthinkable humanitarian catastrophe – which is why calls for a humanitarian pause are deeply urgent.
Friend – Please add your name to call on Congress to support a humanitarian pause, to restore water and power to Palestinian civilians, and to push for the immediate and significant delivery of aid as part of a major humanitarian surge. Click to sign now >>
Thank you,
J Street
