Dear John,
Late last week, our team in Gaza had to stop distributing aid. Like most of the population of Gaza, they had to seek out new places for themselves and their families to shelter. Please hold them in the Light as well as their loved ones and all who are displaced and seeking safety.
This week Israel expanded airstrikes and began a ground operation in Rafah. Despite Israel’s claims to the contrary, the reality on the ground is that a heavy Israeli military presence is preventing aid from entering at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Rafah crossing is also non-operational, with rubble and active hostilities blocking passage of both trucks and people. Both crossings have been completely destroyed on the Palestinian side by the Israeli army.
Closing Rafah Crossing stops life-saving aid from reaching people who desperately need it. It also stops the delivery of the fuel needed for humanitarian operations. We are hearing that existing fuel stocks will be depleted within days. Bakeries, water production facilities, and remaining sewage pumping stations are among the many functions that will all be affected.
Last week, an AFSC truck loaded with 960 bags of flour was attacked by Israeli settlers on its way from Amman to Gaza. Our aid trucks in Egypt are among the hundreds that have not been allowed to enter. As the occupying power, Israel has a legal obligation under international law to ensure the delivery of aid to meet humanitarian needs. Instead, it is depriving the entire population of food, water, medical supplies, and other necessities of life.
UNICEF reports that many of the over 600,000 children currently in Rafah are already “highly vulnerable and at the edge of survival.” They estimate that about 90% of children under five are suffering with an infectious disease and nearly 8,000 children under the age of two are acutely malnourished. In addition, UN Women reports that more than half of the estimated 30,000 pregnant women sheltering in Rafah are going through pregnancy complications such as urinary tract infections, anemia, and pre-term labor.
There is no justification for this suffering. And the U.S. should not be underwriting it. The Biden administration took one step in the right direction this week in halting a shipment of bombs to Israel. Please send a message to your representatives in Congress today. Tell them to halt military funding to Israel and do everything in their power to bring about a permanent cease-fire and restore access for humanitarian aid. Millions of lives depend on it.
In peace,
