Hi,

The past 48 hours may have been the most consequential of the entire
Israel-Gaza war since October 7 — and the next 48 hours may well decide
whether this horrible nightmare can be ended without another surge of
violence.

Here's the latest: On Monday morning, the Israeli military ordered
Palestinians to evacuate Rafah in advance of a full-scale ground invasion,
defying President Biden's warning that such an attack would constitute a
"red line."^1,2

Then yesterday, as Israeli tanks began rolling into Rafah, where more than
1.2 million people are huddling for safety, President Biden paused a
shipment of new bombs to Israel, the first time since the war's start that
the United States has withheld weapons.^3

Now, with Israel on the brink of a catastrophic full-scale assault, this
is the make-or-break moment when President Biden must press his leverage
over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demand he call off the attack.

[ [link removed] ]Will you donate $10 to support our work, including our
efforts to urge President Biden to use his leverage to stop the ground
invasion of Rafah and push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire?

[ [link removed] ]Donate $10

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[ [link removed] ]Donate $40

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Early in the war, the Israeli military designated Rafah as a safe zone for
civilians hoping to escape the onslaught following the October 7 attack on
Israel.

Since then, more than 1.2 million people have crammed into this tiny area
about twice as large as Chicago's O'Hare Airport, while the rest of Gaza
has been almost completely annihilated with relentless bombing.^4

Now, with nearly 35,000 dead, famine breaking out, and the entire health
care infrastructure of Gaza in shambles, a ground invasion of Rafah would
unleash what the U.N. Head of Humanitarian Affairs has said would be "a
tragedy beyond words."^5

But it's not too late to prevent this tragedy and compel Israel to come
back to the negotiating table.

President Biden has leverage to demand Prime Minister Netanyahu call off
his plans for a full-scale ground invasion by withholding the billions in
military aid authorized by Congress. It's up to us to make sure he knows
the public wants peace.

[ [link removed] ]Please donate $10 to support our work, including urging
President Biden to use his leverage to prevent a ground invasion of Rafah
and demand a ceasefire.

With gratitude,

The team at Demand Progress Action

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:
1. NBC News, "'Where do we go?': Palestinians flee Rafah after Israel
orders evacuation before expected ground assault," [ [link removed] ]May 6, 2024.
2. Politico, "Biden warns of 'red line' for Israel over Rafah," [ [link removed] ]March
10, 2024.
3. World Health Organization, "Rafah incursion would substantially
increase mortality and morbidity and further weaken an already broken
health system," [ [link removed] ]May 3, 2024.
4. Vox, "The looming ground assault on the last 'safe' zone in Gaza,"
[ [link removed] ]February 16, 2024.
5. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "UN
relief chief: A ground operation in Rafah will be nothing short of a
tragedy beyond words," [ [link removed] ]April 30, 2024.
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