Israel's ground invasion of Rafah could turn into a "bloodbath" for civilians according to the World Health Organization.

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.

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?

Donate $10

Donate $20

Donate $40

Or, donate another amount

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.

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

Sources:
1. NBC News, "'Where do we go?': Palestinians flee Rafah after Israel orders evacuation before expected ground assault," May 6, 2024.
2. Politico, "Biden warns of 'red line' for Israel over Rafah," March 10, 2024.
3. World Health Organization, "Rafah incursion would substantially increase mortality and morbidity and further weaken an already broken health system," May 3, 2024.
4. Vox, "The looming ground assault on the last 'safe' zone in Gaza," 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," April 30, 2024.

PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Facebook or Twitter.

You can unsubscribe from this list at any time.