John — this weekend, I discussed the crisis that has been unfolding in Israel and Gaza with Jen Psaki, and I wanted to send you a note directly to talk about why I believe there must be a ceasefire to save innocent lives.
It’s important, first and foremost, to unequivocally condemn the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, in which they killed 1,400 Israelis, took hundreds of hostages, and are currently using civilians as human shields. There must be an immediate release of all hostages, and I am deeply grateful for the negotiators who have secured the release of a few hostages already.
There is no doubt that Israel has the right to defend itself but, as President Biden has said, Israel must also follow the laws of war—what is also known as international humanitarian law.
That is why, as the violence in Gaza increased and innocent Palestinians were denied food, water, fuel, and humanitarian aid, I called for an immediate ceasefire or at a minimum a cessation of hostilities and reiterated my call for Israel to follow international humanitarian law.
Unfortunately, these Israeli air strikes have only intensified. Since October 7, the death toll in Gaza has risen to at least 10,000. In the first weeks of this conflict, more than 60% of those killed in Gaza were women and children, according to the UN.
This violence must stop. If you agree, sign our petition supporting an immediate cessation of hostilities.
As the largest backer of military aid to Israel, the United States has a particular responsibility in this conflict. We cannot legitimately call for Israel to follow international humanitarian law and then stand by as thousands of innocent Palestinians die from Israeli air strikes.
I want to be very clear that international humanitarian law does not rely on whether the beginning of an armed conflict was legitimate or not. Rather, it regulates the behavior of all parties once conflict has started—regardless of the justification or lack thereof. It requires the protection of innocent civilians and limits the means and methods of warfare so that those civilians are not part of what is called “collective punishment.”
You may have heard the term “collective punishment” in the past few weeks, so I want to explain what that is. Collective punishment is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and essentially says that innocent civilian populations may not be punished for an offense that they have not personally committed. These “laws of war” are designed specifically to give us moral clarity and a clear path of purpose in the times when it is most difficult to see clearly.
When Russia attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure and tried to starve Ukrainians of food, water, and fuel, our country rightly called this a war crime. In fact, as recently as August, Secretary of State Blinken urged the UN Security Council to take further steps on a resolution that emphasizes intentional starvation of civilians may constitute a war crime.
Today, Israel continues to put enormous restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, denying fuel into Gaza which is desperately needed for hospitals to continue their operation, and even forcing six to shut down completely. Water has been turned off multiple times, forcing many Palestinians to resort to groundwater and sewer water which has caused disease outbreaks and massive humanitarian concerns. Meanwhile, Israel has told over 1 million Palestinians in north Gaza to move to the South, and then continued to bomb in the South. Many elderly, wounded, and children have been unable to leave the North, even if they wanted to.
We also cannot forget that there are still hundreds of American citizens and their families who are trapped in Gaza and have been unable to get out. Many of those citizens are questioning—rightly, in my opinion—whether the United States has prioritized our own citizens’ lives in not doing everything in our power to stop the bombings of Gaza.
Finally, we must do everything in our power to prevent escalating tensions in the region from growing into an even greater geopolitical crisis after last month’s horrific attacks.
I do not think there are any easy answers. But what I do know is that, in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., violence multiplies evil instead of diminishing it.
You can watch my interview with Jen Psaki this weekend here, where I talked more about this issue.
The UN Secretary-General has called for a ceasefire, along with several Arab States. The United States must follow suit and use our power, our leverage, and our collective will to call for a ceasefire or at minimum, a cessation of hostilities. We must hold our own partners—especially those whose military we fund—accountable to international humanitarian law.
We must elevate the calling of the very international institutions that President Biden skillfully and necessarily rebuilt after they were torn down by the previous president. We must insist on humanitarian aid, including food, water and fuel, being delivered to trusted partners to save innocent lives. We must reassert our moral authority and leadership in the world by being consistent about the application of international humanitarian law, even in the worst of circumstances such as this terrorist attack, and with our closest allies.
We need everyone’s voice at this moment—without violence or revenge, with compassion for both innocent Israelis and Palestinians, and with moral clarity of purpose. If you would like to add your voice to this effort, sign our petition here.
This is a vital, crucial moment for our country to lead with courage and compassion. Millions of innocent lives are at stake.
Thank you,
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
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