As a woman who is deeply rooted in my faith, I believe in the humanity of all people and the importance of pursuing peace. So the Vice President’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza is a welcome and much-needed shift from the White House, and a testament to the strength of our movement. We have been calling for an end to this violence from its inception, and our coalition is growing daily.

We must be clear. An immediate and indefinite ceasefire is the only way forward. It is the best way to save lives, return all hostages, and deliver the humanitarian aid Gaza so desperately needs. And it’s not just a moral imperative but a sacred duty. Our shared humanity is at stake.

For the past five months, the world has watched in horror as the crisis in Gaza has worsened daily. Over 30,000 Palestinians — two-thirds of whom are women and children — have been heinously killed by the Israeli military’s relentless and indiscriminate bombing campaign.

Over 11,000 children have been killed in Gaza, a horror that defies explanation. 260 children who will never celebrate their first birthday. Thousands more weigh heavy on our conscience and in our hearts. Babies, toddlers, teenagers, young men and women.

I am devastated at the number of times that I’ve had to call for an indefinite, lasting ceasefire in the past one hundred-plus days. I feel betrayed. I feel haunted. And I feel shame.

If a temporary truce ends and the indiscriminate bombing resumes, it means returning to a world where a child is being killed every 15 minutes in Gaza. It means a full-scale Rafah invasion, where over 1.5 million Palestinian civilians are sheltering without food, clean water, or medicine. It means more Palestinian civilians will be on the brink of starvation. We cannot let this cruelty continue.

The U.S. cannot — and should not — continue offering its full-throated support for the Israeli government as it violates international law and operates with callous disregard for human life. Vengeance is not a foreign policy doctrine. We cannot bomb our way to peace. History has shown us that time and time again.

Together, we will continue to call for peace, to pray for peace, and to work for peace. And I will continue to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable and push them to move with the urgency this moment demands for a full and lasting ceasefire.

In solidarity,

Ayanna